| dc.description.abstract | The need for improved treatment options for those dealing with psychological suffering, such as end of
life anxiety and depression is critical, particularly for healthcare systems such as palliative care which
already tend to such patients. A promising new therapeutic treatment may be found in psychedelics such
as LSD and psilocybin, which have already shown encouraging results in clinical trials dealing with such
conditions. Their potential for adoption, whilst clearly significant at the macro-, and meso- level, i.e.
effects of the market and state, should also, critically, be understood on the more localised micro-level, in
that ultimately it is individuals who will adopt these practices. A useful theory with respect to this, known
as institutional logics, describes how institutional ideas manifest in everyday practice. In this paper, I
conduct a qualitative inductive methodology that draws from previous conceptualisations of institutional
logics to a) identify the multiple institutional logics present in both fields, b) explore the intra- and
inter-domain overlaps and tensions across fields, and c) suggest what these overlaps and tensions might
mean for policy makers and professionals. This cross-case comparison, itself a novel approach to the
application of this theory, was conducted through an iterative process between data collection, namely
interviews with specialists, and a theoretically driven analysis. The results showed an overlapping array of
conflicting logics between the two cases, with encouraging similarities with respect to many of the shared
norms, values, and means of operating. For one, the holistic logics, defined by its multi-dimensional
patient-centred approach to care, had a strong presence in both domains, as well as a comparable presence
of two scientifically backed professional logics: the medical, and research logics. Intra-domain tensions
were also consistent, mainly between the professional logics and a business-like managerial logic. A key
finding, and stumbling block in the legitimisation of psychedelics, is the presence of what I define as a
psychedelic logic, where issues of objectivity, and the misalignment of goals were established. This
embryonic logic, mostly composed of cultural-cognitive elements, I argue will be a key factor in the
legitimising process, either by aligning itself with more established logics, or becoming more established
through activist powers. All in all, insights from this paper suggest encouraging overlaps with respect to
the micro-level dynamics of these domains, which is important for the fact that psychedelic therapy may
one day become part of the palliative arsenal that deals with serious psychological suffering. | |
