Growing use of psychedelics outside medical system prompts £2.5m study
Growing numbers of people are turning to psychedelic drugs to treat serious health conditions outside the medical system, prompting a £2.5m study into the risks and realities of their use by the University of Exeter and the University of Leicester.
Researchers say that substances such as psilocybin, LSD and MDMA are already being used by millions of people globally seeking relief from mental health problems, trauma and neurological conditions, often in unregulated settings without formal medical oversight.
The two universities are launching a five-year study to examine why people are turning to these treatments, how they are being used in practice and what can be done to reduce potential harms.
PATHS: Psychedelics as Therapeutics: Harm Reduction and Safety is funded by Wellcome, which has awarded £2.5 million to the University of Exeter in collaboration with the University of Leicester. The study is among the first of its kind examining real-world psychedelic use outside of clinical settings.
Professor Celia Morgan, Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter said: “Most research has focused on how to bring psychedelics into medicine. This project asks a different question: what can be learned from people who are already using them in real-world settings.
“By understanding how people manage risks, develop forms of care and support one another, we can generate evidence that helps make therapeutic use safer.”
Experts say the growing use of psychedelics is happening against a backdrop of limited treatment options for certain medical conditions alongside an increasing global interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Although clinical trials have expanded in recent years, access to psychedelics within formal healthcare systems remains restricted.
As a result, some people are seeking alternatives outside of regulated environments, often relying on informal networks or community-led support.
The study will work directly with organisations supporting people who use psychedelics in real-world settings, including people who experience cluster headaches, first responders dealing with trauma and individuals in crisis at festivals and other events.
Researchers will examine how informal approaches to care, support and risk reduction have developed within these communities. They will also explore the wider landscape surrounding therapeutic psychedelic use, including the experiences of users and the challenges posed by current legal frameworks.
Dr Hannah Farrimond, Associate Professor of Medical Sociology at the University of Exeter said: “International regulation of psychedelics is changing around the world. Australia has already legalised medicinal psychedelics for depression and PTSD.
“Here in the UK, we need urgent conversations about the benefits and risks of mainstreaming psychedelics before further regulation. PATHS will allow us to have these conversations.”
Most psychedelic substances remain illegal in the UK. Researchers say that this creates a gap between official policy and real-world practice that is currently not well understood.
Researchers say this gap highlights the need for an urgent, evidence-based understanding of how these substances are being used in practice. They argue that this is essential for informing future approaches to regulation and public health.
Professor Jason Hughes, Principal Investigator and Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester, said: “Clinical research has generated growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, but most people using these substances therapeutically are not participating in clinical trials. They are making decisions, managing risks, and developing forms of care and support in everyday settings that remain largely invisible to researchers and policymakers.
“Our aim is to understand how therapeutic psychedelic use develops, what harms and challenges people encounter, how communities seek to reduce those harms, and what lessons can be learned to improve safety. This is ultimately a project about health, care, and harm reduction.”
