Understanding treatment expectations toward emerging therapies in veterinary medicine: the role of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs toward psychedelic-assisted interventions

Among 87 veterinary students surveyed at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, positive attitudes toward psychedelics showed the strongest and most consistent associations with favorable treatment expectations for psychedelic-assisted therapies, including perceived benefit, impact, and overall expectations. Perceived risk showed an inverse but more moderate association. Sociodemographic and educational variables were linked to treatment expectations primarily through these psychological constructs rather than directly. The authors argue the findings support a cognitive–attitudinal framework in which expectations toward emerging therapies relate more closely to interpretable psychological dimensions than to factual knowledge alone.

Study at a glance

Abstract

IntroductionThe adoption of emerging therapeutic approaches in veterinary medicine is likely to depend not only on scientific evidence but also on how such interventions are cognitively and attitudinally appraised by future professionals. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and perceived risk regarding psychedelic use among veterinary students, and to examine their association with treatment expectations toward psychedelic-assisted therapies.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduate veterinary students (N = 87) at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria during the 2025/2026 academic year. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing knowledge and beliefs about psychedelics, alongside the Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q). Exploratory factor analysis identified two latent dimensions—positive attitudes and perceived risk—which were included as independent variables in subsequent analyses. Associations were examined using nonparametric tests, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression models.ResultsPositive attitudes showed the strongest and most consistent associations with favorable expectation domains, including perceived treatment benefit, impact, and overall expectations, while perceived risk showed an inverse, though more moderate, pattern of associations. Sociodemographic and educational variables were more closely associated with treatment expectations through these psychological constructs than through direct associations with the expectation domains themselves.DiscussionThese findings are consistent with a cognitive–attitudinal framework in which expectations toward emerging therapies are more closely associated with interpretable psychological dimensions rather than with factual knowledge alone. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to clarify the relationships among these variables and to evaluate how educational experiences influence their development.