Magic mushrooms — an investment boom or doom?

Investing in these promising medical developments might see you embark on the trip of a lifetime.

Magic mushroom - stock illustration
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the third quarter of 2023, 22 million antidepressants were prescribed to an estimated 6.8 million patients. Sadly, mental health problems are not limited to adults – 1.5 million children will need additional mental health support following the pandemic, according to a report from the Centre for Mental Health. The NHS is struggling to cope with the increased demand – the size of the workforce dealing with mental health has risen by 22%, but that has been outpaced by referrals, up 44% since the pandemic. Around one in six adults in England have a common mental health disorder, and roughly half of mental health problems start by the age of 14. Last year the government spent £12billion, or 9% of the total NHS budget, on mental health services. 

Job insecurity, long working hours and high levels of personal debt have been linked to the six-fold rise in prescriptions for psychiatric drugs since the 1980s. Similar trends are being seen in the US and other countries, and social psychologists such as Jean Twenge and Jonathan Haidt have suggested that the rise of smartphones and social media are partly to blame.

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Bruce Packard
Contributor

Bruce is a self-invested, low-frequency, buy-and-hold investor focused on quality. A former equity analyst, specialising in UK banks, Bruce now writes for MoneyWeek and Sharepad. He also does his own investing, and enjoy beach volleyball in my spare time. Bruce co-hosts the Investors' Roundtable Podcast with Roland Head, Mark Simpson and Maynard Paton.