Innovation and inequity in psychedelic research at the Mayo Clinic.
Casimir Klim, Bryan VanDreese, Terence Meyerhoefer, Scott Breitinger
History of Psychiatry April 28, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/0957154X251318489 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn the 1950s and 1960s, researchers at the Mayo Clinic conducted studies with psychedelic drugs, including LSD and psilocybin. Their work sometimes prioritized scientific advancement over the rights and safety of participants, raising ethical concerns about informed consent and equitable treatment. These historical problems continue to challenge contemporary psychedelic research.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Schizophrenia Bioethics medical ethics Research ethics |
| Key finding | Argues that historical psychedelic research at the Mayo Clinic sometimes prioritized scientific progress over the autonomy, safety, and equitable treatment of subjects, and that these issues persist in contemporary psychedelic research. |
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of psychedelic research at the Mayo Clinic in the 1950s and 1960s, focusing on methods, objectives, findings, and ethical practices. We highlight instances where researchers prioritized scientific progress over the autonomy, safety, and equitable treatment of research subjects, and discuss this history in the context of ongoing challenges with informed consent and equity in contemporary psychedelic research.