CE: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Andrew Penn, Caroline Dorsen, Stephanie Hope, William E Rosa
AJN American Journal of Nursing May 16, 2021 DOI: 10.1097/01.naj.0000753464.35523.29 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPsychedelics, studied from 1943 to 1970 as potential treatments for mental health disorders including addiction, were halted in the early 1970s by the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. As psychedelic-assisted therapy develops, nurses can decide their role in clinical and scholarly research. The article proposes that nurses become familiar with the history, language, and scientific findings of psychedelic research, learn about existing therapy and research resources, examine their own thoughts and judgments about therapeutic psychedelic use, and consider nursing's potential role in these therapies going forward.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 40 |
| Key finding | Proposes that nurses should educate themselves on psychedelic research and therapy resources, reflect on their personal judgments, and consider their future role in psychedelic-assisted therapies. |
Abstract
Psychedelics are a class of psychoactive substances that were studied extensively between 1943 and 1970 as potential therapies for treating a host of mental health disorders, including addiction. Despite promising early results, U.S. psychedelic research was halted in the early 1970s with the enactment of the Controlled Substances Act. As the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy develops, nurses can decide the role they will play in the continuing clinical and scholarly research of these substances, which may soon be used in controlled settings to treat some of the most widespread mental health disorders. To prepare for this task, this article proposes that nurses * become familiar with the history, relevant language, and scientific findings related to the field of psychedelic research. * learn about existing psychedelic-assisted therapy and research resources. * examine their thoughts, judgments, and opinions about therapeutic psychedelic use. * consider the potential role of nursing in psychedelic-assisted therapies going forward.