Although the use of psychedelics is still considered an “underground movement” for people to treat their own mental health conditions, according to a new study, it is on the rise.
According to the 2020 Global Drug Survey, 6,500 or about six percent of respondents out of 110,000 said they use these substances to cope with their mental health. “LSD, MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine”, as reported by Vice, are some of the psychedelics used to treat some of those who participated in the study.
Anxiety and depression were both listed as the main causes of treatment. However, other mental health conditions like bereavement and PTSD were also listed as reasons for treatment.
“The findings suggest that there are many people with common pre-existing illnesses for whom existing treatment modalities are insufficient or unattractive,” according to the study’s authors, as Vice reported.
For LSD users, 52 percent said they use it for their well-being, while emotional concerns are a reason for follow-up. While a high percentage of users of magic mushrooms also said they use it to cope with their well-being, followed by psychiatric reasons.
The study authors said that mental health professionals, including – “psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers” – play a significant role in ensuring that people who use psychedelics get the help they need. They also alerted potential users.
The authors added:
“The greater the delay in implementing these treatments through clinical services, the greater the risk that vulnerable people will be tempted to access these drugs in situations that carry the greatest potential risk of harm.”
“More scientific data is needed, of course, but our data suggests that if these new treatments are made available, there will be a large group of people interested in getting involved with them.”
Read more about this report via Vice and study here.
READ MORE via PennLive: