SPEAKERS

We examined how the use of psychedelics after race-based trauma influenced subsequent psychopathology among people of color. We employed a cross-sectional internet-based survey design. Participants of color were asked to report on past experiences with racial trauma and mental health symptoms and to provide details about their psychedelic experiences. Changes in mental health were assessed by retrospective report of the 30 days before/after the psychedelic experience. We recruited 468 participants of color across the US and Canada (MeanAge=32; female=56%; never married=36%; Black/African American/Canadian=35%, Asian American/Canadian=33%, Native American/Canadian=13%; Hispanic=20%). Psychedelics consumed included psilocybin (31%), LSD (28%), or MDMA (21%). Among those who said that using psychedelics helped them manage racial and ethnic discrimination, we found large (d=.95) and statistically significant (p<.001) decreases in the intensity of trauma symptoms from before-to-after the psychedelic experience. Greater acute mystical and insightful experiences, and lower challenging experiences during the psychedelic experience were significantly related to decreases in trauma symptoms (p<.001). Greater acute mystical and insightful experiences, and lower challenging experiences, during the psychedelic experience were also significantly related to increases in psychological flexibility, which were in turn strongly related to the change in trauma symptoms (r=.68; p<.001). This pattern of results was similar regardless of the psychedelic used. People of color have been underrepresented in psychedelic studies. Psychedelics may hold promise in helping decrease the negative impact of racial trauma in these populations. Future clinical trials should examine the efficacy of psychedelics as an adjunct to psychotherapy for individuals with a history of race-based trauma.