VeryWellMind conducted a new survey and found that 45% of Americans support legalizing some psychedelic substances for the treatment of a mental health condition if they are administered under supervision from a medical or mental health professional.
The growing push for more research on the substances, many of which are classified as Schedule I in the United States, has led to the results.
Many U.S. psychiatrists surveyed in August 2022 disagreed with the federal government's classification of certain psychoactive substances.
According to a recent survey of 1,800 American adults, 14 percent had a favorable impression of psychedelics, 34 percent had an unfavorable impression, and the remaining half was neutral or had never heard of them.
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Despite these gaps in knowledge and accessibility, our findings suggest that nearly half of Americans are open to the idea of using psychedelics for mental health conditions, the authors wrote.
Data showed that 34% of Americans are aware of psychedelics being used for mental health purposes, while 29% have heard of them being used for certain conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In comparison, half of Americans who recently saw a therapist have heard about these uses for psychedelics.
According to the authors, one in three Americans would be more open to psychedelic-assisted treatment if a professional recommendation or FDA approval was offered.
Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin (a compound found in ‘magic mushrooms’) have been shown to be promising for treating mental health disorders in trials. People receive both psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and conventional talk therapy at these trials.
The use of some psychedelics is now decriminalized in several American cities, while Oregon will become the first state to decriminalize psilocybin for clinical use in January.
Ketamine is the only psychedelic medicine endorsed by the Food and Drug Administration for use in treatment-resistant depression.
Twenty-eight percent of respondents were in favor of legalizing psychedelics for religious or spiritual use, and 26% were in favor of decriminalizing psychedelics for recreational purposes.
Even if more psychedelic treatments for mental health conditions were approved, authors caution cost and accessibility hurdles will likely remain.
Americans are cautious but curious about psychedelics, according to the authors of the study. Future steps should include scientific and psychological understanding, risks, and potential benefits. In addition, wider acceptance, decriminalization, and eventual normalization of psychedelic use as a mental health treatment option will follow, if the scientific and psychological foundations are strong enough.
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