Kingston Health Sciences Centre Research Institute leads first-of-its-kind study on at-home psilocybin micro-doses to treat anxiety

By Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (KHSC-RI) are studying the effectiveness of at-home micro-doses of psilocybin—the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms—in treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

GAD affects roughly five per cent of Canadian adults, over 1.6 million people. Despite its prevalence, available therapies can be slow-acting or difficult to tolerate long-term. 

“We’re always looking for new treatments for anxiety to have another tool in our toolbox,” said Dr. Claudio Soares, the study’s principal investigator, in an interview with CFRC. 

Dr. Soares hopes this trial will help combat the stigma and misinformation surrounding psychedelic research, representing a step towards more evidence-based innovation in psychiatric care.

Listen to the full story here.