Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.
2 papers in the library · 48 citations · publishing 2022-2023
Most psychologists are willing to inform eligible patients about psilocybin-assisted therapy if it becomes FDA-approved, but over 90% would still recommend non-psilocybin psychotherapies first. Among 119 surveyed psychologists, 77.4% agreed they would inform patients about PAT, yet 91.6% would prioritize other therapies. Three-quarters endorsed that more knowledge about psilocybin would increase their likelihood of informing patients. Greater openness to engaging patients with PAT was associated with more positive attitudes and beliefs about psilocybin, greater self-reported knowledge, personal psychedelic use, and positive attitudes toward medical cannabis. Attitudes toward medical cannabis and beliefs about psilocybin were the only significant predictors of openness in regression analysis.
Mental health professionals' attitudes toward psilocybin were neutral, but their self-rated knowledge of the substance was low. Whether the survey used the term 'Psilocybin' or 'Magic Mushrooms' did not significantly affect responses. Gender, attitudes toward medical cannabis, and personal history of psychedelic use were associated with ratings of psilocybin. These findings offer a baseline of mental health professionals' views on psilocybin, which may inform considerations if it receives FDA approval.