Exploring Determinants of Psilocybin Acceptance as an Alternative Modality for Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Study
Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research December 16, 2025 Shannon Antoine-Hardy, Dennisse Bonilla
Among 33 young adults with major depressive disorder, perceived benefits were the strongest predictor of willingness to accept psilocybin-assisted therapy. Demographic factors such as age, gender, and race showed no significant correlation with acceptance. A model using Health Belief Model constructs explained 83.9% of the variance in acceptance scores, substantially improving prediction over demographic and other variables alone. The findings suggest that communication strategies emphasizing evidence-based outcomes of psilocybin's efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms may increase treatment acceptance.