Can Psychedelics Radically Change SUD Treatment?
Katie O’connor
Psychiatric News March 20, 2020 DOI: 10.1176/appi.pn.2020.2a12 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | News report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | LSD MDMA ketamine psilocybin |
| Topics | Addiction MDMA Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Watson |
| Key points | Early results suggest that a single psychedelic treatment might help patients with substance use disorders remain substance free for months or even a year, but the field is young and numerous barriers to research make large studies difficult to conduct. |
Abstract
Though the field is young, psychedelics appear to hold promise as a treatment for addiction, even as barriers to research persist. Researchers around the world are investigating how drugs such as LSD, MDMA (also known as ecstasy), ketamine, and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) can treat patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Though there is still a lot to learn, early results suggest that patients might be able to become substance free for months, or even a year, after just one psychedelic treatment. Yet while some experts say the drugs show promise, numerous barriers to research persist, making it difficult to conduct large studies.