Attitudes of psychedelic users regarding cost of treatment and non-hallucinogenic alternatives
Jacob S. Aday, K. Boehnke, Moss Herberholz, D. Kruger
Journal of Psychedelic Studies May 30, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1556/2054.2024.00354 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
Most people who use psychedelics consider altered states of consciousness very important for therapeutic effects, yet a majority are still open to trying a non-hallucinogenic analog. In a survey of 1,221 naturalistic psychedelic users, 76% rated altered states as very or extremely important, while 61% were moderately to extremely likely to try a non-hallucinogenic substance. Participants deemed roughly $70–80 per hour reasonable for psychedelic services, a cost well below current market projections, highlighting scalability challenges for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Study at a glance
| Design | cross-sectional survey |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,221 |
| Population | people using psychedelics naturalistically |
| Key finding | Most participants valued altered states of consciousness for therapeutic effects but were still open to trying a non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analog, and considered $70–80 per hour a reasonable cost for psychedelic services. |
Abstract
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is currently being studied as a possible treatment option for multiple disorders. Despite promising safety and efficacy findings, the high costs of the current PAP model makes it questionable if the treatment will be scalable. Non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogs have been developed as a potential cost-effective alternative, but it is unclear what psychedelic users perceive as a reasonable cost for treatment and whether they would be open to trying a non-hallucinogenic analog.We queried a large sample of people using psychedelics naturalistically (N = 1,221) about their attitudes regarding the role of altered states of consciousness in PAP outcomes, costs of treatment, and their openness to trying a non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analog for treating a mental health condition.We found that most (76%) participants considered altered states of consciousness as very or extremely important to the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. Despite this, most (61%) were also moderately, very, or extremely likely to try a non-hallucinogenic substance if given the chance. Lastly, participants considered approximately $70–80 per hour to be a reasonable cost for various aspects of psychedelic services (e.g., preparation, integration, and dosing sessions).Participants valued the role of altered states of consciousness in therapeutic changes attributed to psychedelics, but were still open to trying a non-hallucinogenic analog. Notably, the price participants considered to be a reasonable amount for PAP is well below current market projections. Future research is needed to address limitations of the study as well as to identify ways of lowering treatment costs.