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By Daniella Gray
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A psychedelic drug known for its intense but short‑lived effects has shown rapid relief for people with major depression, according to a new clinical trial.
Researchers found that just a single dose of dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, significantly reduced depressive symptoms within weeks, with benefits lasting for months.
The study tested DMT—a naturally occurring psychedelic found in several plants and already present in the human body—in adults with moderate to severe depression who had not responded well to standard treatments.
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Unlike other psychedelics such as psilocybin or LSD, DMT acts very quickly and wears off within minutes, making it an appealing candidate for clinical use.
In the phase IIa clinical trial, 34 participants received a single intravenous dose of DMT, infused over 10 minutes, alongside structured psychological support. Some participants initially received a placebo before later receiving DMT, allowing researchers to compare outcomes.
Two weeks after treatment, participants who received DMT showed significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms than those given a placebo.
The improvement was measured using a standard clinical scale for depression, with researchers describing the effect as both rapid and clinically meaningful. Notably, many participants experienced relief within just one week.
Even more striking, the antidepressant effects appeared to last. Follow‑up assessments found that improvements were sustained for up to three months, and in some cases as long as six months. Receiving a second dose did not significantly improve outcomes, suggesting that a single treatment may be sufficient for lasting benefit.
Participants in the study had lived with depression for an average of more than a decade, highlighting the potential importance of the findings for people who struggle with long‑term symptoms. Researchers noted that remission—meaning symptoms dropped to very low levels—was achieved in a substantial proportion of patients following treatment.
The treatment was generally well tolerated. Most side effects were mild to moderate and short‑lived, including nausea, anxiety during the infusion, and pain at the injection site. Importantly, no serious adverse events were reported, and there were no concerning increases in suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
Researchers believe DMT’s fast action may offer practical advantages over longer‑lasting psychedelics. Because the experience is brief, therapy sessions can be shorter and more manageable, potentially reducing costs and making treatment easier to scale within healthcare systems.
The team also found that the intensity of the psychedelic experience itself appeared to matter. Participants who reported more profound subjective effects—such as feelings of unity or emotional insight—tended to show greater improvements in depression.
This aligned with growing evidence that the psychological experience induced by psychedelics may play a key role in their therapeutic impact.
However, the researchers cautioned that the study was small and lacked diversity, with most participants identifying as white. Larger, more inclusive trials will be needed to confirm the findings, compare DMT directly with existing antidepressants and better understand how psychological support influences outcomes.
While DMT is not yet approved as a treatment for depression, the results add to a growing body of research suggesting that psychedelics could reshape mental health care.
Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about depression? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Reference
Erritzoe, D., Barba, T., Benway, T., Joel, Z., Good, M., Layzell, M., Jones, M. B., Campbell, G., Murphy-Beiner, A., Rands, P., Boyce, M., Topping, H., Weiss, B., Timmermann, C., Nutt, D., Carhart-Harris, R., Routledge, C., & James, E. (2026). A short-acting psychedelic intervention for major depressive disorder: A phase IIa randomized placebo-controlled trial. Nature Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-04154-z
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