Media hype regarding psychedelic treatments for depression and PTSD from 2017 to 2024
Scientific Reports April 25, 2026 Audrey G. Evers, Elizabeth C. Stade, Aadesh Salecha et al. 1 citation
Media coverage of psychedelics as mental health treatments is more positive and less cautious than coverage of FDA-approved antidepressants. An analysis of 6,805 newspaper articles from 2017 to 2024 found that positive emotion and sentiment were more strongly associated with psychedelic coverage, while negative emotion and risk language were more strongly associated with antidepressant coverage. Contrary to expectations, reward language was more linked to antidepressants, and negative sentiment appeared more in psychedelic coverage. This imbalance may shape patient expectations, treatment adherence, and outcomes.