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Attitudes of European psychiatrists on psychedelics: a qualitative study.

Marija Franka Žuljević, Nando Breški, Mariano Kaliterna, Darko Hren

Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1411234 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Sample size 12
Population Psychiatry specialists and psychiatry trainees from 8 European countries
Topics MDMA Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Keywords Psychedelics Psychiatrists Psychiatry education Mental health professionals Psychedelic medicine Clinical attitudes
Citations 6
Key findings European psychiatrists not involved in psychedelic research view PAP as promising but see its evidence base as insufficient and call for better education on psychedelics in medical training.

Abstract

It is important to understand how mental health practitioners view recent findings on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) as there is potential this treatment may be incorporated into clinical practice. The aim of our study was to explore how psychiatrists who are not involved in psychedelic research and who are located in the European region perceive psychedelics and PAP. We conducted online semi-structured interviews with 12 psychiatry specialists and psychiatry trainees from 8 European countries. Data were analyzed using a general inductive approach informed by codebook thematic analysis. Based on the interviews, we developed four main themes and 14 sub-themes, including (1) Psychedelics hold potential, (2) Psychedelics are dangerous, (3) Future of psychedelics is uncertain, and (4) Psychiatry is ambivalent toward psychedelics. Our respondents-psychiatrists acknowledged the potential of PAP but remained cautious and did not yet perceive its evidence base as robust enough. Education on psychedelics is lacking in medical and psychiatric training and should be improved to facilitate the involvement of mental health experts in decision-making on PAP.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on MDMA and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Perceived Benefits of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy beyond Symptom Reduction: Qualitative Follow-Up Study of a Clinical Trial for Individuals with Treatment-Resistant PTSD Veterans, firefighters, and police officers with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD 2019 Qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis n = 19
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy; Inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in the frontiers of PTSD treatment trials Transgender and gender diverse adults with a history of receiving trauma-related mental... 2022 Qualitative study n = 17
Expert Opinion on Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy for People with Psychopathological Psychotic Experiences and Psychotic Disorders Experts in psychiatry, clinical psychology, medicine, and psychedelic effects 2024 Qualitative study n = 12
Perceived key change phenomena of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of severe PTSD: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of clinical integration sessions. Participants with severe PTSD 2023 Qualitative study n = 7
A taxonomy of regulatory and policy matters relevant to psychedelic-assisted therapy in Australia Professionals with expertise in fields relating to psychedelic-assisted therapy 2024 Qualitative study

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