A survey of 1,456 mental health experts, patients, and the general public in German-speaking countries found that greater knowledge about psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT), self-rated familiarity, personal treatment experience, and prior use of psychedelics all predicted more positive attitudes toward implementing PAT. Providing balanced information about both the potential benefits and risks of PAT increased acceptance, whereas information about benefits alone did not. The findings suggest that knowledge and balanced communication are key to fostering acceptance of this emerging therapy.
Psychedelic therapy combines pharmacological and psychological processes to treat substance use disorders (SUD). Although psychedelics are known for recreational use, recent evidence shows they can be feasibly, safely, and effectively used in therapeutic settings. Psychedelics enhance key psychotherapeutic processes in approaches like psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapy. The individual psychedelic experience, a major part of the mechanism, does not fit neatly into one therapeutic approach. When administered under well-defined conditions, psychedelics can augment various psychotherapy interventions for SUD and other mental disorders, regardless of theoretical origin.