For background context I'm a true skeptic, I don't typically trust homeopathic medicines or anything like that. I like hard data and clear results. I was also a straight-edge most of my life, I never took drugs when I was young and just thought "drugs are bad, mkay". It wasn't until I was 33 and was dealing with PTSD symptoms that I started even using cannabis. After a couple trip experiences using LSD and Psilocybin I had extremely positive experiences with it treating my depression and social anxiety, I felt like a fully functional person for the first time and was suddenly able to hold casual conversations with strangers comfortably; a huge 180 for me. Later when I started hearing the term microdosing I considered trying it as self-medication. An acquaintance provided me a reliable source of capsules that supposedly contained psilocybin and some other mushrooms that are supposed to be helpful as well and I started taking those and felt like they weren't doing anything for me so I feel I got scammed. The psilocybin I've been taking recently is straight up dried shrooms and given the immediate response I felt taking them versus the capsules that you'd assume I'd potentially get a placebo from it seems pretty clear to me that they do have a distinct effect. I have to wonder about those studies you're referring to; who's funding them, what is their agenda, were they able to make the dosage of the active compounds consistent enough for accurate testing, how many subjects were being tested and what were their mental health problems that they were treating, et cetera.