Browsing by Author "Pellinen, Verneri"

Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound in certain mushrooms, has garnered sig-nificant interest as a potential treatment for various mental health conditions. This literature review offers an overview of current research on psilocybin's therapeutic effects on mental health, explor-ing its application in treating depression, anxiety, trauma, addictions (including alcohol and tobac-co), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This literature review demonstrates the therapeu-tic potential of psilocybin in the treatment of selected psychiatric disorders. While psilocybin's efficacy in depression and anxiety treatment has been extensively studied, the limited availability of research diminishes the credibility of its effectiveness in trauma, addictions, and OCD treatment within this review. Moreover, stringent selection criteria further narrowed the scope of included studies. Psilocybin's mechanism of action involves interaction with serotonin receptors, prompting neuronal changes and potentially contributing to altered consciousness, perception, and emotional processing. The therapeutic approach underscores the significance of the setting and environment, as well as the therapeutic relationship, to optimize treatment outcomes. Psilocybin is generally well-tolerated, with rare serious acute and long-term side effects. Legal constraints have historical-ly impeded research and widespread therapeutic use, though recent shifts suggest evolving ac-ceptance. Psilocybin holds promise as a novel treatment avenue for mental health disorders, ne-cessitating further research to delineate mechanisms, standardize protocols, and compare efficacy against existing medications.