Introduction
Anxiety disorder is the most prevalent mental illness in the U.S and less than half of the adults diagnosed are being treated. When an adult is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder the condition can affect their daily lives. Anxiety disorders are commonly diagnosed with a depressive disorder as well. Anxiety issues are often underrecognized and undertreated in primary care. Previous data states that, “Anxiety disorders should be treated with psychological therapy, pharmacotherapy, or a combination of both,” but new study and research is revealing the effectiveness of psychedelic drugs as a form of treatment for anxiety disorders in adults aged 21 and older (Bandelow, 2017). When developing a treatment plan for anxiety and depressive disorders the adverse effects and interactions that are common among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications can be seen. With the increasing rise in diagnosis of anxiety disorders in adults, there is a need for more treatment options for patients struggling. Research in the effects of psychedelic drugs on adults diagnosed with depressive and anxiety disorders has been ongoing since the 1940s and continues to show beneficial effects (Weston, 2020). This study’s aim is to measure the safety and effectiveness of DMT and psilocybin as treatment for adults over the age of 21 with depression and anxiety by examining existing research.
Literature Review
Significance Statement
The reviewed research is significant because understanding the effects of psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and DMT can allow for more treatment options that do not require selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication and the side effects that come with those medications for patients that are twenty-one and older with a diagnosis depression and/or anxiety. Due to psilocybin and DMT being a Schedule I drug, it has not been included frequently in studies relating to improving mood in adult patients over the age of twenty-one diagnosed with depression or anxiety. “US federal funding has yet to support therapeutic psilocybin research, although such support will be important to thoroughly investigate efficacy, safety, and therapeutic mechanisms” (Johnson, p.1, 2017). Further funding and research will allow for a better understanding of psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, and expand on treatment plans for adult patients diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression, especially for those patients who have had negative side effects from SSRIs, such as increased suicidal thoughts and mood swings.
Hypotheses
Of four psychedelics drugs we have chosen to research, psilocybin will show the most significant improvement in depressive symptoms and anxiety in adults ages 21 and up.
Sample & Setting
Methods
Sample
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Participants included in this study should be at least 21 years old, able to read and write in English fluently, be willing to complete various task such as a baseline assessment, pre/post-session surveys, and be willing to provide information regarding their date of birth, residential address, email address, and phone number. The participants must also be willing to remain in the study for the duration of the experiments and consent to the drugs’ use. Participants need to have been treated, seeking treatment, or are currently being treated by a professional for symptoms of depression and/or an anxiety disorder(s). Those who have a severe mental disability or experience psychotic episodes will not be included in this study. Those who are currently taking medications for depression and anxiety were asked to refrain from using the drug until the study has been completed.
- Sample Size: Ten separate studies were utilized in the creation of the sample. All of which were from different backgrounds and demographics. Our sample size will be determined through a power analysis using medium effect size and an a priori alpha level of 0.05 to achieve a power of 0.08.
- Setting: The participants were given their dosages in various locations. Some researchers found it effective to provide the substances in a relaxed environment with a support group surrounding them. These rooms were typically decorated as a family room would be. Other participants were given their dosages in a clinical setting with the researchers. The setting in which the drug is provided is a critical factor in these studies since some participants report having anxiety about altering their state of consciousness.
- Human subjects and considerations: Prior to data collection, approval from the institutional review of Boards (IRB) will be obtained. Participants of the study have given consent at an online/in-person survey and, in some cases, an in-person interview. They confirm acknowledgment of the risks associated with the drug and the study itself. The confidentiality of the participants is ensured via HIPPA Disclosure. Only researchers directly involved with these studies were able to view the information of the subjects. This includes but is not limited to email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, and medical information.
- Research Design: This study is a systematic review of the current literature on psychedelic medicine. It Incorporates papers that are concerned with the potential mental health benefits of DMT and Psilocybin (psilocin). These studies incorporate a Pre-post-test design that compares the participant’s mood and behaviors before and after using the substances.
Data Analysis
Time Frame
To effectively conduct the medical literature review, a supposed timeframe of two months is required.
Practical implications
This paper contributes to the research in the area of the anxiety disorder treatment. It has become increasingly relevant over the last few years as the diagnosis levels of the disorder continue rising. The common demographic age for anxiety disorders includes persons between 14 and 65 years old, with young adults being the group with a particularly high risk (Ströhle et al., 2018). When not treated, severe anxiety and caused by it disproportional reactions to the casual stress prevent patients from leading a normal life. Untreated cases of anxiety disorder often cause those affected to alter their daily life choices to avoid potential triggers for panic attacks. Furthermore, common anxiety disorder symptoms include nausea, stomach pain, digestive issues, insomnia, and increased heart rate. All of those might provoke complications of other illnesses, if an affected person has any, and are, overall, worthy of intensive medical attention. Furthermore, anxiety creates an unhealthy mental environment for those who struggle with it to potentially develop other mental illnesses, such as depression, OCD, panic disorders, and phobias.
In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of the anxiety disorder diagnosis continues to rise. Psychological and pharmacological drugs are comparatively less effective in adult patients than in patients of a younger age. Modern advancements in medicine allow those who struggle with anxiety disorder to receive effective treatment, and psychedelic drugs should not be overlooked by professionals worldwide.
The social stigmatization of psychedelic drugs prevents medical professionals from utilizing them at the appropriate scale. This problem can be resolved by conducting further research into the effectiveness of these drugs and commenting on the available samples. Additionally, the sole focus on the psychedelic drugs’ side effects is unrepresentative of reality, and this study comments on the side effects experienced by the patients that have taken SSRIs. Further advancement in safety and side effects prevention is universally beneficial, yet the mental illness specialists already possess sufficient data to incorporate psychedelic drugs into their treatment of anxiety disorder and depression.
Reference
Ströhle, A., Gensichen, J., & Domschke, K. (2018). The diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders.Deutsches Arzteblatt International, 155(37), 611–620. Web.