Online portrayals of psychedelic assisted therapies: A content analysis

Psychedelic therapies are undergoing a innovation revolution. There has been a rapid increase in the number of research trials, funding, commercial investment and media reporting on the use of psychedelics in mental health. This can lead to overenthusiastic and uncritical portrayals of psychedelics as a cure all or "magic bullet" that will address the lack of new and effective treatments for a range of conditions, including treatment resistant depression, end-of-life anxiety and Alzheimer's disease. Patients with these conditions, and their family members, may also be desperate for a cure or treatment of their condition. This can have profound impacts on treatment outcomes (e.g. disappointment and a worsening of their conditions when their expectations are not met), informed consent (e.g. if they are unable to appreciate the true risks and benefits), and policy priorities (e.g. increased funding of experimental trials at the expense of more beneficial psychosocial supports). Overly optimistic and misleading reports of the effectiveness of psychedelics has been used to obtain scarce research funding, loosen regulatory mechanisms to psychedelic drugs (as has occurred in Oregon and Colorado), and drive public enthusiasm for the use of psychedelics. Prominent research and advocacy organisations arguably have an ethical responsibility to provide a critical and balanced review of the evidence of safety and efficacy of psychedelic medicines. This study will examine the portrayal of psychedelic medicines in the online media, including in government, key international psychedelic research organisations and advocacy groups, and social media. Findings of this study will be used to develop ethical guidelines for the responsible reporting of psychedelic therapies.