A Study of Psilocybin for PTSD (PSI-3PO)

October 29, 2025 updated by: Johns Hopkins University

Psilocybin for PTSD With or Without Psychotherapy: A Pilot Study of Safety and Efficacy

The proposed open-label, controlled study at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research (CPCR) will test the following primary hypotheses in adult patients with chronic PTSD who are currently taking a serotonin reuptake inhibitor: psilocybin therapy will be feasible and safe for participants, significantly remediate PTSD symptoms, and enhance wellbeing and quality of life. In addition, the study will examine whether elements of evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapy enhance treatment response when paired with psilocybin.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study uses a randomized controlled design to compare the safety and efficacy of 2 doses of psilocybin for PTSD. In addition, it will investigate the effects of trauma-focused psychotherapy (which includes standard psychological support) versus standard psychological support alone. Twenty participants will be recruited. Following the first psilocybin session, participants will be randomized to either the trauma-focused psychotherapy (which includes standard psychological support) treatment condition or the standard psychological support treatment condition (the latter being typical for the experimental administration of psilocybin therapy). Both groups will receive identical treatment prior to receiving the first dose of psilocybin, with one group receiving procedures related to trauma-focused psychotherapy (combined with standard psychological support) beginning after receipt of psilocybin. The study will include clinician and participant ratings of PTSD and mood symptoms pre- and post-drug session and monitor and participant ratings of subjective drug effects during and after each drug session.

The intervention for both groups will consist of about 8 hours of preparatory meetings (over approximately 2 weeks), followed by 2 psilocybin sessions separated by approximately 2 weeks. The initial psilocybin dose will be 25 mg. The dose for the second session may be increased conditional on the strength of subjective effects, as measured by the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ30), taken at the end of participants' first psilocybin session. This allows a dose to increase if, for example, concomitant serotonin reuptake inhibitors reduce subjective effects. Participants with a score ≥60% of the maximum on the MEQ30 will remain at a dose of 25 mg of psilocybin for the second session. Participants with an MEQ30 score below 60% will receive a dose of 40 mg for the second session. Elevation of dose will also be based on the clinical judgment of the principal investigator, study physician, and study staff that a higher dose can be safely administered. In addition, participants who prefer to not elevate the dose will remain at 25 mg for the second session.

To support the participant's therapeutic integration of psilocybin experiences, following each psilocybin session, participants will meet with the session facilitator(s) at multiple scheduled time points. Additional contact hours will be scheduled if it is judged that the participant would benefit from additional meetings to discuss experiences from the session(s) or to prepare for the next session.

This study is supported in part by philanthropic contributions from private individuals. These donors are not involved in the design, conduct, or analysis of the research.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21224
        • Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion criteria:

  • Be at least 21 years old
  • Have given written informed consent
  • Have a confirmed DSM-5 diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with symptom duration >= 6 months
  • Have a baseline CAPS-5 score of >=35
  • Currently taking a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI or SNRI) at a stable dose for at least 3 months.
  • Be judged by study team clinicians to be at low acute risk for suicidality
  • Be medically stable as determined by screening for medical problems via a personal interview, a medical questionnaire, a physical examination, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and routine medical blood and urinalysis laboratory tests
  • Agree to consume approximately the same amount of caffeine-containing beverage (e.g., coffee, tea) that he/she consumes on a usual morning, before arriving at the research unit on the mornings of drug session days. If the participant does not routinely consume caffeinated beverages, he/she must agree not to do so on session days.
  • Agree to refrain from using alcohol, anxiolytics, stimulants, sedatives or hypnotics, opioids, dissociatives, cannabinoids, or other unapproved substances within 24 hours of psilocybin administration. Caffeine and nicotine are exceptions.
  • Agree not to take any as needed (PRN) medications on the mornings of drug sessions
  • Agree to stop taking 5HT2A antagonist medications at least 5 half-lives before psilocybin dosing.
  • Agree not to take sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil, or similar medications within 72 hours of each drug administration.
  • Have no classic psychedelic use in the past five years.
  • Have at least a high school level of education or equivalent (e.g. GED).
  • Weigh at least 40kg.
  • (for female participants) Agree to use highly effective birth control measure within two weeks before and after dosing sessions.
  • (for male participants) Agree to use contraception and refrain from sperm donation two weeks before and after dosing sessions, as the reproductive safety for psilocybin is not yet established.

Exclusion Criteria:

General medical exclusion criteria:

  • Women who are pregnant (as indicated by a positive urine pregnancy test assessed at intake and before each drug session) or nursing; women who are of child- bearing potential and sexually active who are not practicing an effective means of birth control.
  • Cardiovascular conditions: coronary artery disease, stroke, angina, hypertension with resting blood pressure systolic >139 or diastolic >89, a clinically significant ECG abnormality (e.g., atrial fibrillation), prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc) interval (i.e., QTc > 450 msec), artificial heart valve, or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the past year
  • Family history of Torsades de Pointes and sudden cardiac death
  • Epilepsy with history of seizures
  • Insulin-dependent diabetes; if taking oral hypoglycemic agent, then no history of hypoglycemia
  • Currently taking a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor

Psychiatric Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current or past history of meeting DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders (except substance/medication-induced or due to another medical condition), or Bipolar I or II Disorder
  • Current or history within one year of meeting DSM-5 criteria for a severe alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use disorder (excluding caffeine)
  • Current or history within one year of meeting DSM-5 criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder.
  • Have a first degree relative with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders (except substance/medication-induced or due to another medical condition), or Bipolar I.
  • Has a psychiatric condition judged to be incompatible with establishment of rapport or safe exposure to psilocybin
  • History of a medically significant suicide attempt
  • Unwilling or unable to pause concurrent psychotherapy during the study.
  • Determined to be at risk for re-exposure to the index trauma or other significant trauma in daily life.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Trauma-focused psychotherapy treatment condition
Individuals in this arm will undergo procedures related to trauma-focused psychotherapy (combined with standard psychological support) beginning after receipt of psilocybin.
Drug: Psilocybin
The two psilocybin doses will be administered approximately 2 weeks apart in the form of an oral capsule. The first dose will be 25mg. For the second dosing session, participants will either remain on 25 mg of psilocybin, or will receive a dose of 40 mg, depending on the strength of subjective effects experienced during the first dosing session, as well as clinical judgment and participant preference.
Other: Trauma-focused psychotherapy
Components of trauma-focused psychotherapy will include Cognitive Processing Therapy and in vivo exposure. Such components of evidence-based psychotherapy may lower the safety risk profile for this vulnerable population and enhance the effect size and maintenance of psilocybin therapy.
Other: Standard psychological support
Standard psychological support involves providing a safe and emotionally supportive environment to participants throughout the course of their participation, and being attentive and responsive to their emotional needs. It includes continued review and discussion of experiences that participants encountered during the psilocybin sessions and the way that those experience relate to the participant's life and clinical status.
Active Comparator: Standard psychological support treatment condition
This condition represents typical support following the experimental administration of psilocybin therapy.
Drug: Psilocybin
The two psilocybin doses will be administered approximately 2 weeks apart in the form of an oral capsule. The first dose will be 25mg. For the second dosing session, participants will either remain on 25 mg of psilocybin, or will receive a dose of 40 mg, depending on the strength of subjective effects experienced during the first dosing session, as well as clinical judgment and participant preference.
Other: Standard psychological support
Standard psychological support involves providing a safe and emotionally supportive environment to participants throughout the course of their participation, and being attentive and responsive to their emotional needs. It includes continued review and discussion of experiences that participants encountered during the psilocybin sessions and the way that those experience relate to the participant's life and clinical status.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Adverse Events
Time Frame: 8 months
Adverse event monitoring throughout the study.
8 months
Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
Time Frame: 8 months
Used to assess severity of suicide ideation during every study visit. The C-SSRS has a score range of 0-5, with 0 being the least severe and 5 being the most severe. The scale has ten categories, all of which are binary responses (yes/no) that indicate the presence or absence of a behavior.
8 months
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-5 (CAPS-5)
Time Frame: 8 months
The CAPS-5 assessment consists of 30 items that are designed to measure the frequency and intensity of PTSD symptoms, covering all 20 DSM-5 PTSD symptoms. Each item is scored on a 5-point scale (0-4), with 0 being absent and 4 being extreme/incapacitating. Higher scores indicate higher severity of PTSD symptoms.
8 months
Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) of PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
Time Frame: 3 months
The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5; is a self-report psychometric instrument widely employed in both clinical and research settings to assess the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms as outlined in the DSM-5. The PCL-5's 20 items correspond to the DSM-5 symptom criteria for PTSD. For this study, PCL-5 symptoms are assessed using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), such that respondents will be asked to rate the degree to which they have been bothered by each symptom within a preceding time-frame (e.g., preceding 2 hours, preceding day) on a Likert scale ranging from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Extremely). A total symptom severity score (range - 0-80) can be obtained by summing the scores for each of the 20 items with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.
3 months
World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF)
Time Frame: 8 months
An internationally recognized and validated tool for evaluating an individual's perception of their position in life, within the context of their culture and value system, and relative to their personal goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. Consists of multiple domains and facets, covering physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. Each of these domains is assessed through several questions that the respondent answers on a five-point Likert scale. These scores are then used to compute an overall score, which is transformed linearly to a 0-100-scale with higher scores indicating a better perceived quality of life.
8 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II)
Time Frame: 8 months
Used to assess depressive symptoms. BDI-II is scored by adding up the highest ratings for each of the 21 items on the questionnaire, which range from 0 to 3. The total score can range from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
8 months
Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS)
Time Frame: 8 months
Used to assess functional impairment in three domains of disability that can be impaired during depression: work/school, social, and family life. Total score 0-30 (0 unimpaired, 30 highly impaired) Work/school (0-10) Social life (0-10) Family life/home responsibilities (0-10) Scores of ≥5 on any of the 3 scales; high scores are associated with significant functional impairment.
8 months
Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs Scale (PMBS)
Time Frame: 3 months
This 15-item scale assesses maladaptive beliefs related to PTSD, indexed by three subscales including (1) Threat of Harm, (2) Self-Worth and Judgment, and (3) Reliability and Trustworthiness of Others. Scores on each subscale can be derived by summing items within each subscale. A list of subscale items and reverse-code directions are indicated on the measure. Possible scores range from 15-105, and subscale scores range from 5-35. Higher scores are indicative of more maladaptive beliefs in each of the three domains assessed within this measure.
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Johns Hopkins University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Usona Institute
Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Sandeep Nayak, MD, Johns Hopkins University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 7, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 6, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 6, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 9, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 31, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 29, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00407008

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Clinical Trials on Psilocybin

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings