Occupational Burnout Measured Post Psychedelic Experience

Title & Introduction

Paper Title: Change in Occupational Burnout Measures in Emergency Medical Service Workers After a Psychedelic Experience Induced by a Single Self-Administered Dose of Psilocybin Mushrooms
Published In: Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2024
Authors: Ana Sofia Machado Ferreira, Sharon Martindale, and David Luke
Objective: The study aimed to explore whether a psilocybin-induced experience could alleviate symptoms of occupational burnout (OB) in emergency medical service workers (EMSWs).
Importance: EMSWs face high rates of burnout due to exposure to trauma and workplace stressors. Exploring innovative treatments like psychedelics could address these challenges and improve mental health outcomes.

Context: EMSWs are highly susceptible to psychological distress from frequent exposure to critical incidents. This stress often leads to occupational burnout characterized by fatigue, cynicism, and diminished personal accomplishment.
Hypothesis: A therapeutic dose of psilocybin may provide significant psychological relief for EMSWs by promoting emotional breakthroughs and psychological insights.

Study Design: Naturalistic mixed-methods field study.
Participants: Five EMSWs aged 32–46, with 2–15 years of experience. They self-administered psilocybin in non-clinical settings.
Intervention: A single therapeutic dose of psilocybin mushrooms. Participants were assessed at baseline, two weeks, and two months post-experience using psychometric tools.
Controls: No formal control group; participants acted as their own baseline comparison.
Duration: Two months of follow-up after the psilocybin session.

Primary Outcomes:
- Significant reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and occupational burnout.
- Decreased reactivity to stress and critical incidents.
- Increased levels of compassion satisfaction and reduced secondary traumatic stress.
Secondary Outcomes:
- Most participants (4/5) reported profound psychological insights and emotional breakthroughs.
- One participant on SSRI medications experienced attenuated effects but still reported benefits.

Conclusion: Psilocybin induced notable improvements in occupational burnout measures, sustained for two months, with participants attributing success to emotional and psychological breakthroughs during the session.
Implications: These findings highlight psilocybin's potential as a novel intervention for burnout in high-stress professions like emergency medical services.
Limitations: Small sample size, lack of control group, and pre-existing use of psilocybin microdosing by participants may limit generalizability.

Key Takeaway: A single psilocybin session in a naturalistic setting showed promising improvements in occupational burnout and PTSD symptoms for EMSWs.
Practical Application: If validated in larger studies, psilocybin-assisted therapy could offer a rapid and effective alternative for addressing mental health challenges in high-stress occupations.