Nursing CE Central
A professor at the University of Buffalo’s School of Nursing wants to incorporate psychedelic therapy into the curriculum. But the concept isn’t as far out as some might think.
Zoe Spryalatos, DNP, is the board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner leading the charge.
“Studies have shown psychedelics can have a rapid antidepressant response and other benefits for mental health,” Spyralatos told the university’s alumni publication. “When working with depression, it may take patients a long time to achieve those effects with therapy and antidepressants. This may be a way to work a little faster and can be used as an adjunct to treatment.”
Spyralatos also is in the latest cohort of faculty fellows for the University Psychedelic Education Program, which started as a pilot program at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. The program gives educators the tools to “develop and integrate” evidence-based content into their nursing curriculum.
More than 23% of nursing programs have added psychedelic therapy to their curriculum, according to a 2024 survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago and BrainFutures.
Psychedelic therapy — the use of psychedelic drugs like ketamine or MDMA to treat mental health diagnoses — has gained both traction and notoriety in recent years. This is despite most psychedelic compounds being labeled as Schedule 1 drugs since the 1970s.
As recently as last August, the FDA rejected the use of MDMA for “assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, citing insufficient evidence and the need for more research,” according to an APA report. Other Schedule 1 drugs are in various stages of clinical trials.
Interest in the drugs to treat mental health conditions dates back to the early 20th century. LSD had been used “as an adjunct to psychotherapy” in treating anxiety, depression, and alcohol use disorder until the Controlled Substances Act was implemented. But renewed interest began in the mid-1990s.
An August 2023 editorial in JAMA Network called for an “investment of time and resources” related to the use of psychedelic therapy as part of mental health care, though noted this will likely occur through clinical trials rather than the general public.
“However, if the gains are strong and enduring and patients report symptom reduction and existential and spiritual transformation, the investment may be warranted,” the authors wrote. “Meanwhile, clinicians should be knowledgeable about these new treatments as public interest and the empirical base grow.”
That public interest garnered national media attention later in 2023 with the death of actor Matthew Perry. Five people, including two doctors, were charged in his death — the cause of which was determined to be a ketamine overdose.
Perry, who spoke publicly about his drug addiction, was introduced to ketamine as a therapeutic tool at a Switzerland rehab facility and eventually “grew addicted to it,” obtaining it from “illicit sources,” according to a New York Times report.
Nursing program respondents to the NORC Survey on Psychedelic Therapy Curricula in Academia were “significantly more likely” than their counseling/social work counterparts to believe the practice is unsafe. Attitudes “are not overwhelmingly negative” toward psychedelic therapy as a whole.
A 2022 review of the “adverse effects of psychedelics” found that risks “are often minimal, and that many – albeit not all – of the persistent negative perceptions of psychological risks are unsupported by the currently available scientific evidence, with the majority of reported adverse effects not being observed in a regulated and/or medical context.”
The Survey on Psychedelic Therapy Curricula in Academia found that 65% of nursing programs that already offer psychedelic therapy-related curricula were interested in expanding their offerings. Interest among programs that have yet to implement psychedelic-related curricula in nursing was at 43.8% among respondents.
U-PEP launched in late 2024, two years after the collaborative pilot program between Penn Nursing and Columbia University’s School of Social Work. The curriculum, according to a news release, included “practicums in psychedelic research, ketamine clinics, and clinical settings as psychedelic therapies are approved by the FDA.” It also focuses on:
A survey published in the November 2024 edition of the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing found that nurses were largely “open to the idea of psychedelic use in clinical settings.” At the same time, they felt they had a lack of knowledge and confidence related to the specialty.
“Findings from this study support the call for nursing education programs and faculty to consider planning for and implementing learning opportunities to reduce stigma towards these medicines and build competence related to psychedelic benefits, risks, treatment support, ethics, and policy implications at individual, community, and population levels,” the authors stated.
A separate study, conducted a few years prior, suggested the nursing industry must decide how (or who) will guide the conversation on psychedelics in healthcare.
“With the growing interest in psychedelic therapy within academia, research, education, and society at large, the nursing profession is faced with an important choice: to actively participate in the developing field of psychedelic therapy or to allow other disciplines to guide the conversation,” the authors stated.
Less than 25% of nursing programs currently offer curricula related to psychedelic therapy, but nurses aren’t wholly opposed to the idea. A professor at the University of Buffalo’s nursing school hopes to add educational opportunities related to the specialty. However, healthcare industry as a whole must overcome a hurdle that’s been in place since the 1970s — the Controlled Substances Act, which labels many drugs used in these treatments as Schedule 1 drugs. Clinical trials are in various stages of completion for some of the drugs.
Editor’s Note: If you are experiencing substance abuse or mental health issues, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s national helpline at 1-800-662-4357. The confidential line is available 24/7.
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