Change in occupational burnout measures in emergency medical service workers after a psychedelic experience induced by a single self-administered dose of psilocybin mushrooms

A single therapeutic dose of psilocybin mushrooms, self-administered by five Emergency Medical Service Workers (EMSWs), was linked to visible improvements in several measures of occupational burnout two weeks after the session, with gains remaining stable at two months. Participants reported strong subjective experiences—psychological insights and emotional breakthroughs—that they saw as key to the positive outcome. The naturalistic field study suggests psilocybin may offer an alternative approach to address the high rates of psychological distress among EMSWs, potentially benefiting both workers and patient care quality.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims This naturalistic mixed methods field study, aimed to assess the potential of a psilocybin induced experience, to help Emergency Medical Service Workers (EMSW) to address psychological and stress related symptoms stemming from a challenging working environment, known to contribute to occupational burnout (OB). Methods This exploration was conducted with an intentional sample of five participants, recruited through an online survey who self-administered a therapeutic dose of psilocybin mushrooms to manage psychological symptoms resulting from their work as EMSW, allowing the authors to assess the outcome. To measure the impact of the experience, changes in OB measures were assessed with psychometric instruments previously used in this population at three timepoints, before and after the session. The subjective impact of the psychedelic experience, through psychological insights and emotional breakthroughs, was also assessed, and two follow-up interviews were conducted to collect further data. Results The results showed that, two weeks after the session, a visible improvement was noticed in several measures of pre-existent OB, that remained stable after two months. Additionally, most participants reported a strong subjective impact, that they perceived as fundamental for the positive outcome. Conclusions After one therapeutic psylocibin session, several measures of OB showed an encouraging level of improvement and may constitute an important step towards finding alternative and innovative solutions to address high rates of psychological distress experienced by EMSWs, also benefiting the organization and the quality of patient care. The limitations and implications of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed.