Psilocybin increases emotional empathy in depressed individuals, study finds

A study conducted in Switzerland examined changes in empathy among depressed individuals following a single dose of psilocybin. Participants who received psilocybin demonstrated substantial improvements in emotional empathy compared to the control group, which received a placebo. These improvements lasted for at least two weeks after treatment. The paper was published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It can be categorized into two types: cognitive empathy (understanding another person’s perspective) and emotional empathy (feeling what others feel). While empathy is essential for forming emotional connections, research suggests that excessive empathy—particularly emotional empathy—can contribute to emotional distress, especially in individuals who frequently absorb others’ negative emotions. As a result, heightened emotional empathy has been linked to an increased risk of depression and burnout.

Previous research suggests that psilocybin can temporarily enhance empathy, particularly emotional empathy, by increasing feelings of connectedness and reducing ego-related barriers. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms (commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms”) and is known for its hallucinogenic effects. It interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, leading to altered perception, mood, and cognition.

Study author Johannes Jungwirth and his colleagues aimed to investigate the effects of a single dose of psilocybin on the empathy levels of depressed individuals and compare these changes to those observed in a placebo group. They assessed empathy differences at two days, eight days, and thirteen days after treatment. Their hypothesis was that psilocybin would increase emotional empathy and that this effect would persist for up to two weeks post-treatment.

The study included 51 individuals experiencing an acute depressive episode, 19 of whom were men. The participants’ average age was between 36 and 37 years. Those taking psychiatric medication were required to undergo a washout period before the study began. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either psilocybin (25 participants) or a placebo (an identical-looking, inactive medication; 26 participants).

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The study involved seven in-person visits to the research lab over a four-week period. The first visit consisted of screening. Participants then attended two psychological preparation sessions—one four days before treatment and another one day before treatment. On the third visit, participants received either a single oral dose of psilocybin or a placebo. This was followed by three additional visits at two, eight, and fourteen days after treatment. During these follow-ups, participants attended psychological support sessions designed to help them process difficult emotions and develop a narrative about their experience. At these sessions, they also completed assessments of empathy (using the Multifaceted Empathy Test) and depression (using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory).

The results showed that psilocybin treatment led to an improvement in emotional empathy compared to the control (placebo) group. This improvement was evident as early as two days after treatment, peaked at eight days, and was moderate in magnitude. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups regarding cognitive empathy.

At the eight-day and fourteen-day follow-ups, individuals in the placebo group who experienced a stronger increase in emotional empathy also tended to show greater improvements in depressive symptoms. However, this association was not observed in the psilocybin group.

“Our findings provide evidence for the lasting effects of psilocybin on empathy in depressed patients, with significant increases in explicit emotional empathy observed up to 14 days after treatment. Given that conventional antidepressants have been observed to reduce empathy, psilocybin could be a promising candidate for enhancing social cognition and strengthening therapeutic alliance,” the study authors concluded.

This study contributes to the scientific understanding of psilocybin’s effects on depressed individuals. However, it is important to note that the study groups were relatively small, meaning some weaker effects may have gone undetected.

The paper, “Psilocybin increases emotional empathy in patients with major depression,” was authored by J. Jungwirth, R. von Rotz, I. Dziobek, F. X. Vollenweider, and K. H. Preller.