Social acceptability of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress at the end of life: A population-based survey
Louis Plourde, Sue-Ling Chang, Houman Farzin, Pierre Gagnon, Johanne Hébert, Robert Foxman, P. Deschamps, François Provost, Marianne Masse-Grenier, Jean-François Stephan, Katherine Cheung, Yann Joly, Jean‐sébastien Fallu, Michel Dorval, For The P3a Study Group
Palliative Medicine January 22, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/02692163231222430 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA survey of 2,800 adults in four Canadian provinces found high social acceptability of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress at the end of life. 79.3% considered it a reasonable medical choice, 84.8% agreed public health insurance should cover it, and 63.3% would support legalization for medical purposes. More favorable attitudes were linked to prior psilocybin use, exposure to palliative care, and progressive political orientation. The findings suggest public support is strong enough to help mobilize resources and improve access to this emerging therapy in palliative and end-of-life care.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,800 |
| Population | Adults from four Canadian provinces (Québec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia) |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Palliative care End-of-life care Distress Medicine |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key finding | 79.3% of respondents considered psilocybin-assisted therapy a reasonable medical choice for existential distress at the end of life. |
Abstract
Background: Internationally, there is a growing interest in the potential benefits of psilocybin-assisted therapy to treat existential distress at the end of life. However, the social acceptability of this therapy is not yet well known. Aim: This study assesses the social acceptability of the medical use of psilocybin to treat existential distress at the end of life. Design: An online survey was conducted in Canada between November 23 and December 4, 2022. The questionnaire included items pertaining to perceptions, attitudes and concerns towards psilocybin-assisted therapy to treat existential distress at the end of life. Participants: The sample ( n = 2800) was stratified by province, age and sex. Participants were adults from four provinces of Canada: Québec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Results: Overall, 79.3% considered psilocybin-assisted therapy a reasonable medical choice for a patient suffering from existential distress at the end of life, 84.8% agreed that the public health system should cover the costs of the intervention and 63.3% would welcome the legalisation of psilocybin for medical purposes. Previous psilocybin use ( p < 0.0001, for all dependent variables), exposure to palliative care ( p < 0.05, for all dependent variables) and a progressive political orientation ( p < 0.05, for all dependent variables) were associated with more favourable attitudes towards psilocybin-assisted therapy at the end of life. Conclusion: The social acceptability of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress at the end of life is rather high in Canada. These findings may contribute to efforts to mobilise resources and improve access to this emerging therapy in palliative and end of life care settings.