Yale School of Medicine, 34 Park St, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
University of Connecticut, Department of Psychological Sciences, 406 Unit 1020, Babbidge Rd., Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2023 Jun;149:209035. doi: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209035. Epub 2023 Apr 3.
Evidence suggests that psychedelics may serve as a therapeutic approach to reduce substance use; however, people with racial and ethnic minoritized (REM) identities are often excluded from this research. We investigated whether psychedelic use affects other substance use among REM people and whether perceived changes in psychological flexibility and racial trauma mediates this association.
REM people in the United States and Canada (N = 211; 32 % Black, 29 % Asian, 18 % American Indian/Indigenous Canadian, 21 % Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; 57 % female; mean age = 33.1, SD = 11.2) completed an online survey retrospectively reporting their substance use, psychological flexibility, and racial trauma symptoms 30 days before and after their most memorable psychedelic experience.
Analyses showed a significant perceived reduction in alcohol (p < .0001, d = 0.54) and drug use (p = .0001, d = 0.23) from before to after the psychedelic experience. Preliminary associations found perceived reductions in racial trauma symptoms were associated with perceived reductions in alcohol use and this association varied by race, dose, ethnic identity, and change in depressive symptoms. Specifically, Indigenous participants experienced greater perceived reductions in alcohol use relative to participants who identified as Asian, Black, or other. Those who took a high dose of psychedelics experienced greater perceived reductions in alcohol use relative to those who took a low dose. Participants with a stronger ethnic identity and those with a perceived reduction in depressive symptoms experienced a perceived reduction in alcohol use. Serial mediation indicated a perceived increase in psychological flexibility and reduction in racial trauma symptoms mediated the association between acute psychedelic effects and perceived reductions in alcohol and drug use.
These findings suggest that psychedelic experiences may contribute to an increase in psychological flexibility and reduction in racial trauma symptoms and alcohol and drug use among REM people. REM people have been largely excluded from psychedelic treatment research even though psychedelic use is considered a traditional healing practice in many communities of color. Longitudinal studies of REM people should replicate our findings.
有证据表明，迷幻药可能成为减少物质使用的一种治疗方法；然而，具有少数族裔（REM）身份的人往往被排除在这项研究之外。我们调查了迷幻药使用是否会影响 REM 人群的其他物质使用，以及感知到的心理灵活性变化和种族创伤是否会调解这种关联。
美国和加拿大的 REM 人群（N=211；32%黑人，29%亚洲人，18%美洲印第安人/加拿大原住民，21%夏威夷原住民/太平洋岛民；57%女性；平均年龄=33.1，SD=11.2）完成了一项在线调查，回顾性地报告了他们在最难忘的迷幻体验前 30 天和后 30 天的物质使用、心理灵活性和种族创伤症状。
分析表明，酒精（p<0.0001，d=0.54）和药物使用（p=0.0001，d=0.23）的感知减少有显著差异。初步关联发现，种族创伤症状的感知减少与酒精使用的感知减少相关，这种关联因种族、剂量、族裔身份和抑郁症状的变化而有所不同。具体而言，与亚洲、黑人或其他族裔相比，美洲原住民参与者经历了更大程度的酒精使用感知减少。与低剂量组相比，高剂量组参与者经历了更大程度的酒精使用感知减少。具有强烈族裔身份和感知到抑郁症状减轻的参与者经历了酒精使用感知减少。序列中介分析表明，急性迷幻药效应与感知到的酒精和药物使用减少之间的关联，是由心理灵活性的感知增加和种族创伤症状的减少介导的。
这些发现表明，迷幻体验可能会导致 REM 人群心理灵活性的提高和种族创伤症状以及酒精和药物使用的减少。尽管迷幻药的使用在许多有色人种社区被认为是一种传统的治疗方法，但 REM 人群仍被广泛排除在迷幻药治疗研究之外。对 REM 人群的纵向研究应该复制我们的发现。
