Verywell Mind has carried out a survey, revealing that one in three Americans who are currently in therapy are willing to try psychedelics to help with mental health.
The survey aimed to examine the awareness and opinions of 1,800 US citizens of psychedelics used in the context of mental health treatment.
Verywell Mind says it has carried out the survey as research from the past year has revealed that medicines, such as ketamine and psilocybin, have shown promise in treating mental health conditions such as addiction, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Additionally, Verywell Mind highlights that the growing influx of psychedelic-assisted therapy, such as online ketamine-therapy providers, has made new treatments more available than ever before.
Editor-in-chief of Verywell Mind, Amy Morin, LCSW, stated: “In 2019, the FDA approved Ketamine for the treatment of depression, and since then, a few cities and states have enacted legislation that may allow other psychedelics to be used for mental health treatment in the near future.
“According to our survey, consumers may welcome the opportunity to explore psychedelics as part of their treatment.
“One in five people who are in therapy said they would try psychedelics specifically because other treatment options have left them feeling discouraged, signalling that people are interested in alternative treatment options.”
The results
Findings from the survey revealed that nearly half of Americans support legalisation of some psychedelics under the supervision of a mental health professional, and that awareness and acceptance of psychedelic therapy overall were greater among those currently in therapy. However, Verywell Mind notes that the results showed others are also catching on.
The results showed that:
- 36%of Americans who have seen a therapist in the last 30 days feel positively about psychedelics being used as part of a treatment for mental health compared to 24% overall
- 34% would be willing to try psychedelics as part of treatment for a mental health condition compared to 17% overall
- 45% say they’d support legalisation of at least some psychedelics for the treatment of a mental health condition under the supervision of a professional
- 35% of respondents would be more likely to consider taking psychedelics if they were recommended by a doctor or therapist (35%), or
- 30% would consider taking them if the specific drug were FDA-approved
Verywell Mind highlights that further significant survey results include that: 29% of Americans have heard of psychedelics being used to treat a specific condition; the most common conditions Americans associate with psychedelics are depression and PTSD; and, 23% of Americans would be more open to trying psychedelics for mental health if they were legal.
Further details from the survey can be found here.
