Psychedelics as a novel treatment: Describing the awareness and attitudes of South African psychiatrists

Abstract

Background: Psychedelics have shown promising outcomes as a novel treatment option across a range of mental illnesses. There is a growing body of literature that has preliminarily shown classical psychedelics to be effective and relatively safe. The research that exists is primarily pilot studies of small samples sizes. The literature up to now has been focused on the drug properties of psychedelics and the experience of the users. The researchers identified a gap in research describing the prescribers and their awareness, interest, and confidence regarding these novel agents. Aim: The aim was to describe the awareness and attitude of South African psychiatrists towards psychedelics as novel treatment agents. Setting: The study focused on qualified and registered psychiatrists practicing in South Africa. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional online survey. The researchers designed and generated the questionnaire. Convenience sampling was employed within a sampling frame. The online survey was distributed using the data base of psychiatrists registered with the South African Society of Psychiatrists. Results: The results showed that South African psychiatrists are interested and keen to receive more information. High rates of hesitancy surrounding psychedelic treatments were reported and reflect the valid concerns surrounding PAT. Conclusion: The population of South African psychiatrists who are predicted to be the primary gatekeepers and prescribers of PAT are not confident in prescribing the novel treatment of psychedelics. Contribution: The research has highlighted the need to consider prescribers when implementing novel treatment agents. There is a need to address prescriber concerns and improve training.