Healthcare Providers’ Attitudes Toward Psychedelics as Medicine – PSYCH: The Psychedelics As Medicine Report 3rd Edition

Key takeaways

Findings from a UK healthcare professional survey suggest a workforce that is engaged with psychedelic research and broadly receptive to psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT):

• Healthcare professionals report strong awareness of research into psychedelics for mental health, often shaped by lived experience: four in ten have used psychedelic drugs, and over half have experienced mental health conditions.
• There is strong agreement about potential therapeutic benefits, alongside recognition of the challenges psychedelic experiences can pose.
• Two-thirds of healthcare providers are excited about the prospect of psychedelics as medicines.

Survey overview: UK healthcare professionals

Given that healthcare professionals will play a central role in delivering and supporting PAT in coming years, a survey was conducted to measure UK health professionals’ views on mental health solutions and their opinions of psychedelics.

The survey included 440 respondents:

• Nurses: 55%
• Doctors: 24%
• Other healthcare workers: 21%

Demographics of the cohort:

• 79% female, 20% male, 1% non-binary
• A wide range of professional contexts, including:
  • General practice (16%)
  • Surgery (12%)
  • Psychiatry (8%)
  • Public health and policy (6%)
  • Paediatrics (6%)
  • Anaesthesia (5%)
• Two-thirds of respondents had been practising for under 10 years.

State of mental health among healthcare workers

More than half of surveyed healthcare workers reported being affected by a mental health condition, indicating high personal familiarity with mental health burden and its impact.

Among respondents:

• 21% were currently exhibiting symptoms
• 16% experienced symptoms within the last year (but not currently)
• 11% within the last five years
• An additional 7% reported having a pre-existing mental health condition at some other point in their lives

Views on current treatment effectiveness

Respondents were asked about the efficacy of existing treatments for several conditions. Most described current treatment options for PTSD, depression, eating disorders, and drug and alcohol addiction as “somewhat effective”.

Depression received the highest “somewhat effective” rating among the conditions listed (45%). Drug and alcohol addiction scored lowest in perceived efficacy, potentially reflecting high relapse rates and the complexity of comorbid mental health drivers.

The section notes common treatments currently in use, including:

• Depression: talk therapy and antidepressant medications such as SSRIs and SNRIs
• PTSD: antidepressants, cognitive behavioural therapy, and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)

How informed are healthcare professionals about PAT research?

To gauge existing awareness, healthcare workers were asked how familiar they were with research into PAT across:

• PTSD
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Drug addiction
• Alcohol addiction

Familiarity was highest for research relating to depression and PTSD, followed by alcohol addiction, aligning with more visible clinical trial progress in these areas. The least recognised research areas were eating disorders and drug addiction, with expectations of more targeted clinical research in these topics in forthcoming years.

Differences by professional group were notable:

• Doctors were the most informed on average: eight out of ten reported familiarity with psychedelic research related to mental health, and just under half self-identified as “knowledgeable”.
• Among nurses, seven out of ten reported familiarity, and three out of ten described themselves as “knowledgeable”.
• By specialty:
  • Doctors were most knowledgeable about PTSD and drug addiction research
  • Nurses were most informed about PTSD and depression research
  • Psychiatry respondents were more knowledgeable about drug addiction and eating disorder research, though they represented a smaller subgroup

Therapy: perceived benefits and perceived risks

Healthcare professionals were surveyed on statements about whether psychedelics can provide therapeutic benefits or can be detrimental to users. Responses were mixed overall, suggesting scope for further professional education and training—likely to be strengthened as evidence, clinical use-cases, and training initiatives expand.

The most common view was that psychedelics provide therapeutic benefits in a medical setting. A strong view was also expressed that psychedelics can be detrimental to health in a recreational setting. Taken together, these responses indicate alignment around the idea that benefits are most credible in controlled environments with trained professionals.

At the same time:

• More than half of respondents agreed that users can receive therapeutic benefits in a recreational setting
• 48% also agreed recreational use could be detrimental to users’ health (with 17% disagreeing)
• Around one third remained unsure

The section also notes that while psychedelic compounds have shown lower addictive and physiological risks relative to many recreational drugs, harm reduction remains essential, particularly regarding psychological risks associated with inadequate preparation and non-constructive “set” and “setting”.

As US decriminalisation and legalisation initiatives expand, the section highlights the launch of the Psychedelic Peer Support Line by the Fireside Project, a hotline supporting users (and accompanying friends) with guidance from trained facilitators, from preparation through integration.

How prior psychedelic use shapes practitioner views

Healthcare professionals who had used psychedelics for therapeutic or spiritual reasons were the strongest supporters of therapeutic benefits:

• Medical setting benefits: 83% agreement among both therapeutic and spiritual users
• Recreational setting benefits: 73% (therapeutic users) and 70% (spiritual users)

Those who had tried psychedelics recreationally or for creative inspiration were more likely to agree with benefits than those with no psychedelic experience. Among those with no prior experience:

• 55% agreed psychedelics provide therapeutic benefits in a medical setting
• 45% agreed they provide therapeutic benefits recreationally

Stronger views also appeared among those with therapeutic or spiritual use histories regarding potential harms:

• Detrimental effects in a medical setting: 63% (therapeutic users) and 57% (spiritual users) agreed
• Among those with no prior experience, 44% agreed and 41% were unsure

Across cohorts, there was broad agreement that psychedelics can carry risks both medically and recreationally—particularly among those with prior experience—indicating a recognition of both potential benefits and challenges. The section notes that practitioner experience can shape understanding and strengthen viewpoints, and references MAPS’ emphasis on practitioner experience among MDMA therapy providers.

Support for research access and clinical adoption

Healthcare professionals were asked how much they agreed with statements relating to:

1. easing restrictions on research barriers
2. coverage by healthcare services
3. openness to personal use of PAT
4. willingness to refer or provide PAT to patients

Key findings include:

• Support for easing restrictions on research barriers was high, with 70% agreeing.
• Six out of ten medical professionals were open to providing or referring patients to PAT.
• About two-thirds reported they would consider using a psychedelic treatment themselves if faced with a condition where it was shown to be safe and effective.
• Two-thirds of medical professionals were excited about psychedelics as medicines.

The section attributes stronger support among healthcare providers—relative to consumers—to clinical proximity to people experiencing mental health conditions, awareness of ongoing research, and empathy for patient needs.

Why this matters

The survey indicates high levels of familiarity and a broadly positive outlook among healthcare professionals toward psychedelic-assisted therapy. Given that clinicians will be closely involved in the delivery of PAT, this level of support is positioned as a key enabler for scaling psychedelic therapies as medical treatments.