A single dose of a powerful psychedelic, favored by celebrities, may offer a new avenue for treating depression, according to a pioneering study.
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a key ingredient in the psychoactive concoction called ayahuasca, is derived from plants in the Amazon. Stars such as Miley Cyrus, Aaron Rodgers, and Lindsay Lohan have praised its potential for addressing mental health challenges, combating tinnitus, and overcoming addiction.
Despite being banned in the United States, ayahuasca has gained traction recently, fueled by reports that it might alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder and other ailments by ‘rewiring’ the brain.
Recent findings from a limited trial indicate that, when combined with therapy, DMT may significantly benefit those battling depression.
The study employed a double-blind method, meaning neither participants nor researchers were aware of group assignments. Thirty-four individuals were administered two sessions of either DMT or a placebo, alongside conventional therapy.
In the study’s subsequent phase, when offered a choice, 30 participants elected to receive either an initial or second dose of DMT.
After just three months, participants who received DMT infusions had significantly fewer depressive symptoms than the placebo, and some said they still felt the benefits six months later.
The team also found no additional benefit in getting two doses compared to one, suggesting just one dose was sufficient.
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally occurring compound in the psychoactive brew ayahuasca, which has been touted by celebrities for mental health benefits (stock image)
Miley Cyrus, pictured above at the Grammy Awards earlier this month, has talked about going through intense trips on ayahuasca
Dr David Erritzoe, lead investigator and psychiatrist at Imperial College London, said: ‘There is an immediate antidepressant effect that is significantly sustained over a three-month period and that’s exciting because this is one session with a drug, embedded in psychological support.’
The findings add to earlier research from Erritzoe’s team, which found 60 percent of patients who got one dose of intravenous DMT before therapy had no symptoms of depression three months later.
And it follows a recent trial of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, which showed significant benefits in people with depression.
However, DMT is considered a Schedule I substance in the US, meaning it’s part of a class of drugs ‘with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,’ according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, making it illegal nationally with strict mandates on a state-by-state basis.
The team said that while more research is needed and DMT can cause particularly intense trips, additional studies could provide valuable insight into DMT’s use for the 48 million US adults with depression.
In the new study, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, 17 adults were given DMT and 17 were given a placebo, with both drugs being delivered intravenously.
The average participant age was 33, and 70 percent of them were men. About 88 percent were white, and participants had major depressive disorder for an average of 10.5 years.
All participants had psychotherapy and follow-up sessions after their infusions.
Football legend Aaron Rodgers, pictured above in August 2025, revealed in 2022 that he used ayahuasca during a 2020 trip to peru
Lindsay Lohan, pictured above in July 2025, has said drinking ayahuasca in Peru changed her life
Using the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), researchers found after two weeks, participants in the DMT group had an average MADRS reduction of seven points, with the earliest improvements noted after one week.
Participants also had sustained benefits for three to six months. In fact, by the three-month mark, 47 percent of participants across both groups had improved enough to be considered in remission from depression. However, there was no significant difference between those who got two doses of DMT instead of just one.
There were also minimal side effects, including infusion site pain, nausea and mild anxiety.
Experts behind the study believe psychedelics combined with therapy help people with depression break unhelpful patterns of thinking, which Erritzoe has likened to the effects of shaking snow on a mountain or flattening hills so people can find new routes.
‘You redistribute the snow so it’s easier to take new tracks, and at the same time it becomes easier to take new routes because the landscape has been flattened,” he told The Guardian.
Though promising, the results are based on a small sample size, so the team highlights more research is still needed.
