Psychedelic assisted therapies (PATs) for treating addiction: awareness, misconceptions, knowledge gaps, perceived risks and barriers to implementation

The therapeutic use of psychedelics is gaining increasing attention for its potential to treat various addictions. Despite growing scientific interest, limited awareness and concerns may hinder the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) into mainstream care. This project aims to explore perceptions, knowledge and attitudes towards PATs among clinicians, general public, policymakers, and regulatory stakeholders.

The project will combine quantitative and qualitative methods, including a cross
sectional survey and a focus group with UK-practicing psychiatrists. The survey
will assess views on PATs, regulatory frameworks, and risks and using semi
structured interviews for the focus group, it will provide deeper insights into
clinicians' views, ethical concerns and perceived implementation barriers.

This project is innovative in its holistic, systematic approach engaging clinicians
and policy stakeholders, integrating co-designed dissemination strategies, and
aiming to translate findings into actionable insights with business partner ISSED. This project has great potential in addressing the current unmet needs of addiction treatment by contributing to the integration of PATs into addiction treatment through providing evidence-based research identifying misconceptions, informing public and clinical discourse.