An online survey of 1,456 mental health experts, patients, and the general public found that greater knowledge about psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT), self-assessed knowledge, personal treatment experience, and prior experience with psychedelics predicted more positive attitudes toward introducing PAT. Providing information about PAT's potential only increased acceptance when combined with information about its risks. Participants were generally optimistic about implementing PAT. The link between knowledge and acceptance was confirmed, suggesting that balanced education and reporting on PAT can foster higher acceptance.
Therapists in Switzerland who provide psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) adapt psychotherapeutic techniques to the psychedelic context but retain similarities to non-psychedelic practices. The psychedelic and psychotherapeutic elements work synergistically, amplifying general therapeutic factors such as trust, a sense of profundity, and the emergence of therapeutic experiences. Therapists agreed that psychedelics act as unspecific catalysts for psychotherapeutic processes, while also acknowledging unique interactions between the drug and therapy. For specific indications, incorporating psychedelics into long-term psychotherapy may strengthen therapeutic processes.