(Argumentative essay I wrote in college in 2023)
This essay makes the argument that there is currently a global mental health crisis. It then demonstrates that current psychiatric treatments are proving inadequate as solutions and come with an array of side effects. Psilocybin, a psychedelic drug, is then argued to be a safer and more effective alternative as a therapeutic treatment by exploring recently conducted studies on the drug.
Recently there has been a growing interest in the use of psychedelic drugs as treatments for psychological disorders. Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in certain species of mushrooms, has been shown in numerous studies to be highly effective as a therapeutic treatment. This essay argues that there is currently a global mental health crisis, that current treatments are proving inadequate as solutions, and that psilocybin ought to be further explored and utilised by mainstream medical systems.
There is currently a global mental health crisis. Depression is a leading cause of disability, impacting 280 million people globally (World Health Organisation). In the past two decades, rates of depression have continued to climb, having an estimated economic impact of one trillion dollars each year (World Health Organisation), and causing untold suffering to human lives. Suicide has also been on the rise. Over 700,000 people commit suicide each year (World Health Organisation). In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for those aged between 10 and 34 in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Usage of psychiatric medication has also increased over the past decade (Brauer, R., 2021). Used as intended solutions, these tools appear to have failed. The effectiveness of these drugs has been unclear, with one study suggesting 80% of antidepressant benefits being tied to placebo (Smith, D., 2022). These medications can also cause many severe negative short-term and long-term effects (“Managing mental health medications”).
Due to stigma surrounding psychedelics, partially caused by their illegality, the public may have concerns that psilocybin is dangerous. However, in comparison to psychiatric medications, they appear harmless. Whereas many psychiatric medications are neurotoxic (Neurotoxic agents), causing adverse effects on the nervous system, psilocybin is not neurotoxic. In fact, psilocybin has positive effects on the nervous system and brain, encouraging the formation of new connections between neurons (Ly, C., 2018).
Whereas psychiatric medications can be highly addictive, psychedelics have very low potential for addiction (“Classic Psychedelics Aren’t Addictive”). In fact, studies are showing that psilocybin demonstrates great efficacy in treating addictions (van der Meer, P. B., 2023). Additionally, the lethal dose of psilocybin is extremely high, making it practically impossible to overdose on the drug. This is not the case with most psychiatric medications. Furthermore, a global drug survey in 2017 ranked magic mushrooms as the safest recreational drug, causing even fewer hospital admissions than cannabis (Solon, O., 2017).
Many studies are revealing the promise of psilocybin. In one study, twelve individuals with treatment-resistant major depression were administered psilocybin in a therapeutic environment. They received two doses, seven days apart. Significant reductions in their depression appeared after the two doses, remaining significant six months post-treatment (Carhart-Harris, R. L., 2017).
In another study, researchers administered a high dose of psilocybin to 30 volunteers to study the drug’s capacity to induce mystical experiences. The participants stated that it was one of the most significant experiences of their lives, comparable to the birth of a child or the death of a parent. One-third ranked it as the single most significant experience of their life. They also reported improvements in their mental health and life satisfaction, along with positive behavioural change, which were confirmed by their friends and family members and were still present fourteen months after the single dose was administered (Griffiths, R. R., 2006).
Another study demonstrated that a single dose of psilocybin produced rapid, powerful, and lasting anti-depressant effects in patients with life-threatening cancer (Ross, S., 2016). These studies, which include only one to two doses of the treatment, show greater efficacy at causing positive mental health changes than traditional psychiatric medications, which in comparison must often be taken daily and come with numerous negative side effects.
Although there needs to be more studies and research into psilocybin and other psychedelics, the research thus far has shown them to have great potential in treating mental disorders. Further research ought to be conducted, and actions should be taken to start integrating psilocybin into mainstream medical care as a tool for psychiatrists and therapists to use in the treatment of mental illness. The evidence suggests it may be a useful tool to help address the current crisis in mental health.
References:
Brauer, R., Alfageh, B., Blais, J. E., Chan, E. W., Chui, C. S. L., Hayes, J. F., Man, K. K. C., Lau, W. C. Y., Yan, V. K. C., Beykloo, M. Y., Wang, Z., Wei, L., & Wong, I. C. K. (2021). Psychotropic medicine consumption in 65 countries and regions, 2008–19: a longitudinal study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(12), 1071–1082. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(21)00292-3
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Bolstridge, M., Day, C. M. J., Rucker, J., Watts, R., Erritzoe, D. E., Kaelen, M., Giribaldi, B., Bloomfield, M., Pilling, S., Rickard, J. A., Forbes, B., Feilding, A., Taylor, D., Curran, H. V., & Nutt, D. J. (2017). Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology, 235(2), 399–408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4771-x
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Injury Data Visualization Tools | WISQARS | CDC. Wisqars.cdc.gov. https://wisqars.cdc.gov/data/lcd/home
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Griffiths, R. R., Richards, W. A., McCann, U., & Jesse, R. (2006). Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance. Psychopharmacology, 187(3), 268–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5
Ly, C., Greb, A. C., Cameron, L. P., Wong, J. M., Barragan, E. V., Wilson, P. C., Burbach, K. F., Soltanzadeh Zarandi, S., Sood, A., Paddy, M. R., Duim, W. C., Dennis, M. Y., McAllister, A. K., Ori-McKenney, K. M., Gray, J. A., & Olson, D. E. (2018). Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity. Cell Reports, 23(11), 3170–3182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2018.05.022
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Smith, D. (2022). Antidepressants Don’t Work the Way Many People Think. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/08/well/mind/antidepressants-effects-alternatives.html
Solon, O. (2017, May 24). Study finds mushrooms are the safest recreational drug. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/23/study-hallucinogenic-mushrooms-safest-recreational-drug-lsd
van der Meer, P. B., Fuentes, J. J., Kaptein, A. A., Schoones, J. W., de Waal, M. M., Goudriaan, A. E., Kramers, K., Schellekens, A., Somers, M., Bossong, M. G., & Batalla, A. (2023). Therapeutic effect of psilocybin in addiction: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134454
World Health Organization. (2023a). Depressive Disorder (Depression). World Health Organisation. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
World Health Organization. (2023b, August 28). Suicide. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide