Changing attitudes to psychedelic drug assisted therapy: The induction of empathy to enhance community support for innovative interventions in mental health

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face stigma that hinders community acceptance of psychoactive drugs used to augment psychotherapy. An experiment gave participants information about a client with PTSD or a physical condition (Parkinson's disease) with psychological symptoms. Participants felt more empathy for the PTSD client, and an empathy manipulation further increased this. Although participants viewed PTSD clients as more responsible for their condition, they also showed greater willingness to help, which increased with empathy. Fostering empathy may encourage community endorsement of enhanced therapy for mental illness, potentially influencing medical practitioners' acceptance.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Empirical research supports the use of psychoactive drugs to augment psychotherapy for the treatment of mental illness. The use of such drugs, however, is still resisted by many in the medical community and this transfers to resistance in the wider community. The stigma of controversy surrounding the drugs, further enhanced by the stigma of mental illness, hinders community acceptance. We report an experiment to change community attitudes to endorse the benefits of such practice. Participants were given information about a client with post-traumatic stress disorder, with accompanying stigma of mental illness, or a physical condition (Parkinson's disease) with comorbid psychological symptoms, but without stigma. They received information about the diagnosis and the value of psychoactive drugs in the enhancement of therapy or this information with a manipulation to induce empathy. Analysis revealed higher empathy for the PTSD than for the Parkinson's patient. The elevation of empathy was further enhanced by the empathy manipulation. While there was higher agreement that PTSD clients were responsible for their own condition, there was a greater willingness to help, and this was further increased by empathy. Such conditions should be considered to encourage the general community to accept enhanced therapy for patients that can enhance endorsement by medical practitioners.