From Trauma to Transformation: Psychedelics Show Promise for Depressed Healthcare Workers

A groundbreaking study from the University of Washington School of Medicine has revealed that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy can significantly reduce depression and burnout among healthcare workers, offering hope for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Led by oncologist and palliative care specialist Dr. Anthony Back, the study aimed to address the emotional toll the pandemic inflicted on doctors and nurses. With nearly half of all physicians reporting burnout, Dr. Back sought to determine whether psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms, could help healthcare workers process their trauma and find a renewed sense of purpose.

For participants like Will Koenig, a flight nurse, the experience was nothing short of transformative. After witnessing countless patients die far from their families during the pandemic, Koenig struggled to cope emotionally.

“We took patients a long way from home, and that might be the last time they’d ever see their family,” he said.

Through psilocybin-assisted therapy, Koenig confronted these feelings directly, finding new ways to process his grief. Two years later, he says the treatment continues to have a profound impact.

“That has only made me better prepared to go on to be a nurse and help other people,” Koenig said. “I don’t know that I could have done that without this treatment.”

Similarly, Dr. Juan Iregui, a physician who volunteered for the study, said he turned to psilocybin after struggling with anxiety from losing young patients during COVID-19. The therapy allowed him to explore his emotions from a new perspective.

“It’s not something that the medicine does for you,” he explained. “It’s something that you discover within yourself.”

Dr. Back’s study involved psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy sessions, where participants took a large dose of the psychedelic in a controlled environment, guided by trained therapists. Far from simply producing hallucinogenic effects, the therapy encouraged participants to face the traumas that had weighed them down.

1“There is this misconception that we’re just having people see a lot of swirly colors, and then they’ll forget about all their problems,” Dr. Back said. “That is not the case at all.”

The results were striking. Participants who underwent psilocybin-assisted therapy experienced significantly greater reductions in depression and burnout than those who received a placebo. In many cases, the benefits lasted for months.

Dr. Back hopes this research will pave the way for responsible integration of psychedelics into mental health treatment. 2“I hope my research can contribute to the development of safe and efficacious ways of really bringing these medicines back into our culture in a way that they can be used responsibly,” he said.

As the stigma surrounding psychedelics continues to fade, their potential to address mental health challenges in high-stress professions like healthcare is becoming increasingly clear. For many healthcare workers, psilocybin therapy is not just about recovery—it’s about transformation.

By helping them confront their deepest emotional struggles, psilocybin-assisted therapy may offer a new path forward for those who dedicate their lives to helping others.

Should psychedelics like psilocybin be approved for treating burnout in high-stress jobs like healthcare?