Beliefs and Perceived Barriers Regarding Psychedelic-assisted Therapy in a Pilot Study of Service Members and Veterans With a History of Traumatic Brain Injury
Joshua C. Gray, Mikela A. Murphy, Sierra Carter, Matthew W. Johnson, Aaron Wolfgang, Michael J. Roy, Jessica L Maples-Keller
Military Medicine December 24, 2022 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usac400 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey with pre-post psychoeducation component Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Service members and veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury and co-occurring cognitive and psychological symptoms |
| Duration | Single session (pre- and post-psychoeducation assessment) |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Service member Military medicine Navy Military service Traumatic brain injury Military personnel Service business |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | After psychoeducation, service members and veterans reported significantly more positive views of psychedelic drugs and greater interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies, and most supported their availability in medical settings. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Introduction Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are common in service members and veterans, and the response to currently available treatments is often modest at best. Recent studies suggest potential benefit with psychedelic-assisted therapies (PATs), particularly 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy for PTSD and psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression. This study examined beliefs and perceived barriers regarding PAT among service members and veterans to inform the delivery of these treatments if they are approved by the FDA.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-one service members and veterans (67% male, 81% White, and 43% active duty) with a history of traumatic brain injury and co-occurring cognitive and psychological symptoms completed a measure assessing baseline knowledge and views of PAT, read a brief psychoeducation regarding PAT, and then responded to questions related to their beliefs and perceived barriers to PAT.
Results: Before psychoeducation, participants reported a neutral view of psychedelic drugs (M = 2.76; range: 1-5), PAT (M = 3.33), and interest in PAT (M = 3.10). After psychoeducation, participants reported a significantly more positive view of psychedelic drugs (M = 3.24, P = .014) and interest in PAT (M = 3.67, P = .016). Overall, participants indicated that they would support PAT availability in medical settings if proven beneficial (M = 4.52; 5 = “agree strongly”) and they would support a loved one engaging in PAT (M = 4.29). The most frequently reported health concerns were concern of long-term effects (43%), fear of losing their mind (33%), fear of personality changes (33%), and fear of traumatic brain injury complications (24%). The most frequently endorsed barriers were time commitment, transportation, financial concerns, work, and childcare (33%-19%), with 48% reporting no barriers.
Conclusions: This is the first study to explore beliefs and perceived barriers regarding PAT among service members and veterans. These results indicate that military populations may be interested in PAT, particularly if psychoeducation and outreach regarding these treatments occurred. If FDA approved, it will be important to facilitate command support and address logistical barriers to ensure appropriate access within military contexts.