Endurance athletes are open to psychedelic therapy, but lack knowledge and mental support.

There is a new scientific article that investigates how Brazilian endurance athletes think about mental health and the potential therapeutic use of psychedelics.

In it, we discuss:

In this article, the authors combine a concise conceptual overview with a cross-sectional questionnaire study among endurance athletes. This is relevant because this group may face specific psychological and physical stressors, while little is known about their attitudes toward psychedelic therapy.

The true focus of this article is not on clinical treatment or the effectiveness of psychedelics in athletes, but on knowledge, attitude, and perceived need. In total, 28 participants completed a questionnaire regarding mental health, the use of supplements, medication, and psychoactive substances, and their perceptions of psychedelics and psychedelic therapies.

The results show that there are clear unmet mental health care needs. In total, 64 percent indicated a lack of mental health support in their sports environment. Additionally, 29 percent reported depression or anxiety, and women reported pharmacological treatment for depression or anxiety more often than men.

It also appears that most participants are relatively open to psychedelic therapy, provided it is offered legally and under supervision. In total, 11 percent already had previous experience with psychedelics, while 79 percent indicated they were open to psychedelic therapies if they were legal and supervised. At the same time, there were significant knowledge gaps. For instance, 61 percent were unaware of existing evidence for psychedelics in mental disorders, and the potential anti-inflammatory or analgesic properties were also largely not recognized.

In addition, clear misconceptions emerged. In total, 78 percent believed that psychedelics are addictive. According to the authors, this shows that while the general attitude may be reasonably positive, knowledge regarding effects, risks, and therapeutic use still lags far behind. This makes targeted, evidence-based education important, according to them.

It is important to note, however, that this is a small cross-sectional survey with only 28 participants. Consequently, the article says nothing about the actual efficacy of psychedelics in athletes, nor about causal links between sport, mental health, and attitudes towards psychedelics. Its value lies primarily in identifying need, stigma, and a lack of knowledge.

In one sentence: this article shows that many endurance athletes are open to psychedelic therapy, but that at the same time many misunderstandings exist and that mental support is often lacking in their sports environment. The study was also too small to draw conclusions for the entire population (n=28).