Public Interest in Psilocybin and Psychedelic Therapy in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Google Trends Analysis
JMIR Formative Research November 28, 2023 George Danias, Jacob Appel 13 citations
Interest in psilocybin and psychedelic therapy, measured by Google search volume, increased at higher rates after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared than before it. Searches for depression, anxiety, and addiction also rose during the pandemic. After an initial drop in searches for most terms when the pandemic began, interest in psilocybin and psychedelic therapy grew steadily and surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, interest in antidepressants returned to pre-pandemic levels without exceeding them. The findings suggest that public interest in psychedelic treatments may be linked to rising mental health concerns, but could also be driven by media coverage and novelty.