Shrooms in drugs trial

MAGIC mushrooms may give lasting benefits to people tormented by incurable depression, new research suggests.

A trial of 12 patients with treatment-resistant depression – which in some cases had persisted for decades – found every participant experienced a reduction in symptoms a week after taking the strictly controlled Class A hallucinogenic drug psilocybin.

Eight of the 12 (67%) achieved full remission after a week and were temporarily liberated from their demons.

Three months after swallowing psilocybin capsules, seven patients continued to show an improvement and of these five remained depression-free.

Volunteers were screened to exclude anyone with a history of suicide attempts, psychosis or drug usage.