Why People are Turning to Psychedelics to Treat Medical Conditions

Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities

Description

Article highlighting how the SPRG events in February 2023 inspired a local conversation on the role of psychedelics in mental health and well-being

Period27 Jun 2023

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleWhy People are Turning to Psychedelics to Treat Medicla Conditions
    Degree of recognitionRegional
    Media name/outletGreater Govanhill
    Media typePrint
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    Date27/06/23
    DescriptionThe Scottish Psychedelic Research Group, which is based at the University of Edinburgh and founded in 2021, recently held three days of talks on the subject including one afternoon focused on mental health. The speakers were a mix of scientists and people with lived experience of the medicinal qualities of psychedelics, including a former rugby player for the Scottish national team and a family that had been affected by addiction issues.

    Dr Mourad Wahba, a psychiatrist who has been running clinical trials on the subject, highlighted how the amount of papers published on the subject has doubled since 2013. He also showed how psilocybin, especially higher doses, can reduce the impact of severe depression and addiction issues. This was backed up by another speaker, Professor Jo Neill, who said: “Never in forty years of research, have I seen such amazing results… I switched to researching psychedelics because they work. They heal people which is not a word we usually say in psychiatry.”
    Producer/AuthorJack Howse
    PersonsAnna Ross

Keywords

  • psychedelics
  • Mental health
  • Wellbeing