UNI 110
Debates
Outline Format
Issue Question: Should psychedelics be used in the treatment of mental health?
Group A Issue # 1
Detailed Outline for YES Arguments
I. YES Position Statement: Psychedelics should be used in the treatment of
mental health
II. YES Claim #1
A. State Claim #1 in one sentence.
Psychedelics should be used in the treatment of mental health because they can
be used as mood boosters
B. Provide a short justification for the claim.
Psychedelics have been shown to enhance the mood and overall well being of
users therefore making them a potential tool for mental health treatments
C. Provide research and evidence to support your claim. These are the direct
quotes from your articles/research. Include the MLA in-text citations.
"Psychedelic experiences with psilocybin are often of great personal
significance, creating lasting change in personality, increased openness, and a
greater sense of well-being."
Veterans Health Administration. (2024). Overview of psychedelics for mental
health and PTSD treatment: MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapy. Veterans
Affairs Research Review.
D. Explain how your research and evidence supports your claim.
The research that was mentioned suggests that psychedelics have a positive
impact on mood and personality traits. An example is openness. These traits are
associated with better mental health. these mood enhancements are especially
helpful with depression and other mood disorders
III. YES Claim #2
A. State Claim #2 in one sentence.
Been known to be successfully treat veterans with PTSD
B. Provide a short justification for the claim.
UNI 110
Debates
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MDMA and other psychedelics have shown to be successful in reducing ptsd
symptoms specifically for veterans and others who have not responded well to
other more traditional treatments
C. Provide research and evidence to support your claim. These are the direct
quotes from your articles/research. Include the MLA in-text citations.
"Recent randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials of the Lykos MDMA-AT
protocol have shown PTSD symptom reductions with large effect sizes."
Veterans Health Administration. (2024). Overview of psychedelics for mental
health and PTSD treatment: MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapy. Veterans
Affairs Research Review.
D. Explain how your research and evidence supports your claim.
The research shows the successfulness of MDMA-assisted therapy in clinical
trials. its has widely strong support especially for veterans who have chronic
ptsd
IV. Rebuttal toYES Claim #1 (What might the opposing team say in response to your
claim?)
A. List one rebuttal to YES Claim #1
Using psychedelics as mood boosters could lead to a dependency. patients could
start seeking out psychedelics instead of developing other types of coping
mechanisms
B. Provide justification for that rebuttal.
People that have mood disorders might rely heavily on psychedelics for
temporary relief instead of addressing the underlying issues that could be solved
with long term therapy
V. Rebuttal to YES Claim #2 (What might the opposing team say in response to
your claim?)
A. List one rebuttal to YES Claim #2
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Debates
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The effects of psychedelics are not fully understood and they are lacking long
term data on potential side effects and relapses after treatments
B. Provide justification for your rebuttal
missing information for the long term safety and the effectiveness of
psychedelics. especially for a group of extremely vulnerable populations such as
veterans with PTSD it would require a significant amount of more long term
benefits and research.
Detailed Outline for No Argument
A. No Position Statement: Psychedelics should not be used in the treatment of
mental health because of lack of research on psychedelics.
B. NO Claim #1
a. Psychedelics should not be used in the treatment of mental health
because of lack of research on psychedelics
b. Psychedelics should not be used in the treatment of mental health
because without extensive clinical data there are unresolved
questions about long-term effects and how to create safe
standardized guidelines.
c. “The major limitations of the current evidence for psychedelic drugs
are interconnected. In the absence of pharmaceutical industry
interest, limited support from philanthropic sources has funded the
research, restricting trials to relatively small samples of patients
because of the cost of doing larger studies.” (Hall).
Hall, Wayne. “The need for publicly funded research on therapeutic use of
psychedelic drugs.” World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric
Association (WPA) vol. 20,2 (2021): 197-198. doi:10.1002/wps.20847
d. A lack of research and funding hampers the development of
evidence-based treatment protocols. This means there's less
UNI 110
Debates
Outline Format
guidance on the optimal settings, doses, or supportive therapy
techniques that can maximize benefits and minimize risks.
No Claim #2
A. Assert Claim #2 in one sentence. Psychedelics should not be used in the
treatment of mental health because it affects your brain.
e. Provide a short justification for the claim. Psychedelics can have
potential negative effects on the brain, especially when used without
proper medical oversight or in excessive doses.
f. Provide research and evidence to support your claim. These are the direct
quotes from your articles/research. Include the MLA in-text citations.
“Some have reported distressing experiences while on the drugs or
after, including paranoia, fear, and severe anxiety. (Others, who have
used psychedelics without medical supervision, have reported more
severe emotional disturbances afterwards, such as mania and
depression.)”
g. Explain how your research and evidence supports your claim.
Psychedelics can cause intense physiological experiences, like
anxiety, paranoia, or panic. Known as “bad trips” these experiences
can be traumatic or overwhelming and may have lasting emotional
effects. Additionally psychedelics tend to trigger or exacerbate
psychotic episodes for individuals with a predisposition to mental
health disorders.
C. Rebuttal to NO Claim #1 (What might the opposing team say in response to your
claim?)
a. List one rebuttal to NO Claim #1 Psychedelics were extensively studied
in the mid-20th century and some recent studies from reputable
institutions have shown positive outcomes.
b. Provide justification for your rebuttal
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Studies and experiences relating to psychedelics have been
consistently studied and questioned for decades now.
D. Rebuttal to NO Claim #2 (What might the opposing team say in response to your
claim?)
a. List one rebuttal to NO Claim #2, Psychedelics like psilocybin and
MDMA have shown promising results in clinical trials for patients
with PTSD.
b. Provide justification for your rebuttal. Many patients do not respond to
conventional therapies for depression, PTSD and anxiety, even after
trying multiple treatments. Psychedelics have shown promise for
these patients.
