UW Study to Examine Use of Psychedelic Shrooms for Mental Issues

In 2025, the University of Washington School of Medicine will begin a rather unusual study, involving psychedelic mushrooms.

  Study will examine use of mushrooms in treatment

According to UW Medicine and Axios, the study will look at the use of what are called psychedelics:

 "Research into the role of psychedelics, including psilocybin, LSD and MDMA in treating a range of addictions and mental health disorders is entering a broader new phase, thanks to more National Institute of Health interest and federal funding."

They plan to enroll about 40 first responders and military veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD.  UW officials say this is important because previous such studies have rarely included people who have already been diagnosed with co-disorders.

Studies will be done in a controlled environment, and two clinicians will be with each patient. There has been a lot of movement in the potential use of psychedelics in treatment for people with these kinds of trauma and possibly addictions.

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The FDA recently released its first-ever guidelines for researchers looking to use psychedelic treatments. The test subjects will also have psychotherapy sessions before and after the treatments. According to Axios, there has been some movement in this direction already outside of the medical research community:

" Some cities, including Seattle, have decriminalized growing and sharing psilocybin mushrooms while some states — Oregon and Colorado — have passed laws that decriminalized psilocybin and also legalized its supervised therapeutic use."

Once the participants have been screened and enrolled this fall, the studies will begin in early 2025.