Low-income group psilocybin assisted therapy for depression: An Oregon feasibility study
This was a feasibility study where the researchers wanted to know whether it was practical and acceptable to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy in a group format to low-income adults with depression within Oregon's regulated psilocybin-services system. The study was:
open-label
uncontrolled
non-randomized
unblinded
20 participants started treatment; 19 completed
participants had to have income ≤200% of the federal poverty level and a DSM-5 diagnosis of major depressive disorder.
The intervention involved groups of up to six people, two 90-minute online preparation sessions, two psilocybin administration sessions one week apart, and two 90-minute online integration sessions. Participants continued with their existing psychotherapist during the study.
The paper's strongest evidence is that a group-based model for delivering psilocybin services to a carefully selected low-income population is feasible, acceptable and potentially safe.
The large reductions in depression and improvements in broader functioning are highly promising, but they are explicitly exploratory findings. Because there was no control group, the paper does not establish that psilocybin caused those improvements, nor does it establish long-term effectiveness or cost-effectiveness.
Abstract
Background and aims
Despite growing popularity and increasing legal access, psychedelic therapy remains financially inaccessible to many. This study was designed to test the feasibility of conducting group psilocybin therapy in low-income adults with depression in Oregon's regulated psilocybin program.
Methods
An open label, uncontrolled design was used. After a medical screening visit, participants were enrolled in cohorts of six. Each cohort participated in two 90-min preparation sessions conducted online followed by two psilocybin administration sessions one week apart where they consumed dehydrated and homogenized whole mushrooms, Psilocybe cubensis (B+ strain) prepared in a tea. Two days after each psilocybin administration they had an online, 90-min integration session.
Results
We recruited 26 eligible participants, 20 of whom began treatment and 19 completed. No severe adverse events were reported, and participants rated their satisfaction, on average, as 4.8 out of 5, reporting moderate to high benefit and no harm. Exploratory outcomes include Hamilton Depression scores which demonstrated a significant decrease (t = 8.24, p < 0.001) in a paired t-test and a strong effect size (Cohen's d = 1.89). For the same time periods all eight domains of the PROMIS-29 were significantly improved on paired t-tests at p < .01 with effect sizes ranging from 0.667 to 1.774.
Conclusions
The study demonstrates the feasibility of group psilocybin therapy in a low-income population with depression. Further research with rigorous comparator groups is warranted to assess if this intervention can be both effective and cost-effective.
Hicks, M., Hicks, O., Bradley, R. and Zwickey, H. (2026) ‘Low-income group psilocybin assisted therapy for depression: An Oregon feasibility study’, Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 10(3), pp. 261–270. doi: 10.1556/2054.2026.00485. Read Paper
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