If you've ever had the misfortune of arguing the merits of hip-hop or drugs with your parents, then today is your lucky day. Two reports have come out recently that suggests hip-hop and magic mushrooms may hold the answer to treating depression and anxiety. One report, from Vice, states that scientists have been exploring the effect of psilocybin—the active chemical in magic mushrooms—and they claim it could help treat the effects of depression, anxiety, and stress.
There's some way to go, however, since the results are as yet unproven but preliminary trials have been carried out in the States on some cancer patients who have been suffering from anxiety related to their illness. Those preliminary studies seem to suggest the drug has helped. A second study, conducted by psychiatrists at Cambridge University, has found that listening to hip-hop has had beneficial effects on patients suffering from depression or anxiety.
According to the report, originally published in The Lancet Psychiatry, listening to hip-hop helped sufferers to deal with "hardships" and "struggles", particularly when listening to songs that dealt with similar issues. It was also found that the aspirational message in a lot of rap songs helped to motivate sufferers and instill the possibility of hope.
Helpfully, the University psychiatrists have put together a playlist of their top three feel-good bangers:
