By According to Psychiatrists in the United States, they are increasingly accepting of psychedelic therapy. Newly published research.
The study was published last month in the journal psychedelic medicinerevealed a significant change in psychiatrists’ attitudes toward psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapy that has occurred in recent years.
“Our data reveal a markedly positive shift in attitudes toward the therapeutic potential of psychedelics among U.S. psychiatrists since 2016, with psychiatrists who responded “The majority of patients plan to incorporate psychedelic drug-assisted therapy into their practice once regulatory approval is obtained,” the researchers wrote in the paper. Conclusion.
Researchers first conducted this study in 2016. A follow-up survey released last month said respondents were “demographically similar to 2016 respondents.”
“We emailed survey instruments to 1,000 randomly selected members of the American Psychiatric Association (250 resident researchers and 750 attending physicians) between late 2022 and early 2023. were calculated and compared with the current study using nonparametric trend tests, and to assess which attributes of respondents predicted moderate or strong agreement with plans to incorporate psychedelic-assisted therapy into their practice. , we constructed a multivariate logistic regression model,” the researchers said in the description of their research methods.
The response rate was approximately 13%, and the researchers found that “the majority moderately or strongly believe that psychedelics have promise in treating mental illness (80.9%) and substance use disorders (SUDs) (60.8%). ” he said.
“The majority also favor federal funding for research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for mental illness (93.9%) and SUD (88.6%), and related clinical trials (84.7% and 80.9%, respectively) as moderate or “We strongly support this,” the researchers said. I have written. “Compared to 2016, there was a significant increase in optimism regarding the therapeutic promise of psychedelics and a decrease in concern about risks, with 50.4% of respondents practicing psychedelic treatment.” reported a moderate or strong intention to incorporate
The findings track significant changes in attitudes among researchers, policy makers, and the general public toward psychedelics, particularly as a form of mental health treatment.
2020, University of California, Berkeley launched It is a center for psychedelic science and public education whose purpose is to “conduct research using psychedelics to investigate cognition, perception, and emotion and their biological basis in the human brain.”
The center launched with just over $1 million in seed funding. In August, the center announced it would launch a free online course called “Psychedelics and the Mind” with a grant from the Steve and Alexandra Cohen Foundation.
This shift in attitude has increased pressure on lawmakers in Washington to end the federal government’s ban on psychedelics like psilocybin.
In September, the Michigan Legislature asked Congress, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to “prioritize research and investment in non-technology treatment options for service members and veterans who have suffered psychological trauma as a result of military service.” passed a resolution asking for it. ”
“The need to address veteran mental health in Michigan is critical. In 2021, there were a reported 554,281 veterans living in Michigan; 11th out of 53 states and territories,” the resolution states. “However, between 2016 and 2020, 882 Michigan veterans were reported to have died by suicide.”
resolution”[urges] It called for Congress, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to prioritize research and investment in non-technology treatment options for service members and veterans who have suffered psychological trauma as a result of military service. ”
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden’s brother offered a glimmer of hope that reforms could come from the White House.
Frank Biden said in an interview that his brother is “very open-minded” about psychedelic therapy.
“Please do that. I don’t want to talk about it. We’re talking brother to brother. Brother to brother,” Frank Biden said. “The question is, is the world and the United States ready for this? In my opinion, we are on the cusp of the awareness that needs to be brought to solve addiction and the many problems surrounding it.” But just as important is the recognition of the fact that we are all the same people and we are the same. We have to come together.”
In a survey of psychiatrists released last month, researchers acknowledged that federal reform may be on the horizon.
“Psilocybin, the classic psychedelic drug, may eventually be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment-resistant depression. We are aware of only one published national survey of physicians, conducted by our group in 2016. We report a resurvey using substantially the same methodology to assess whether we have an opinion on psychedelic drug-assisted therapy and whether we are even more optimistic about the therapeutic use of psychedelics in 2022-2023. It will give you perspective,” they wrote.
