Research Shows Psychedelic Retreats Benefit Older Adults Despite Achieving Milder Effects
A recent study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry offers new perspectives on the impact of psychedelic retreats on older adults. The research reveals that, despite experiencing less intense immediate effects of psychedelics compared to younger participants, seniors reported similar improvements in well-being after attending the retreats.
Promising Potential of Psychedelics
Psychedelics, such as psilocybin, LSD, and DMT have shown promise in treating the symptoms of various disorders. These substances induce an altered state of consciousness, which has been linked to therapeutic outcomes. However, very few studies have been conducted in this age group, as older adults have been largely excluded from psychedelics research, leaving the safety and efficacy of these treatments for them uncertain.
“Psychedelic substances have seen a resurging interest, primarily due to their fast and sustained positive effects on well-being among diverse clinical populations,” said Lorenzo Pasquini, co-author and assistant professor of neurology at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. He highlighted the need for targeted research, noting the widespread and difficult-to-treat changes in older adults.
Hannes Kettner, a PhD candidate at …