Cross-Sectional Associations Between Lifetime Use of Psychedelic Drugs and Psychometric Measures During the COVID-19 Confinement: A Transcultural Study

Abstract

Background: One of the main public health strategies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic consisted of implementing strict lockdowns to stop the transmission of the virus. Despite being an effective measure, the confinement and the associated social isolation create a stressful, potentially lengthy situations that has been proven to have several psychological consequences. Given the potential benefits that certain psychedelic drugs have shown for the treatment of psychological disorders, this study aimed to assess the impact of lifetime psychedelic drug use on mental health in relation to the first strict lockdown adopted by various countries (April-July 2020).Methods: Subjects completed an online survey that inquired about sociodemographic factors, activities, and lifestyle factors during confinement, as well as health and mental health related factors. Subjects were asked about their lifetime use of psychedelic drugs (MDMA, ayahuasca, psilocybin-containing mushrooms, LSD, peyote, San Pedro, Bufo alvarius or 5-MeO-DMT, and others), being classified as regular users (more than once per 6 months), occasional users, or non-users. The survey included psychometric tests used to assess psychological distress, peritraumatic stress, social support, psychopathological symptoms, and personality. Linear regressions were performed with psychedelic drug users as the independent variable and psychometric factors as the outcomes, while correcting for age, gender, language, religion, spirituality, and use of non-psychedelic drugs.Results: The study included 2,974 English, Portuguese, and Spanish speakers (497 regular users of psychedelic drugs, 606 occasional users, and 1,968 non-users). On average, respondents were 36 years old and 70% were female. Psychedelic drug users, especially regular ones, reported less psychological distress, less peritraumatic stress, and more social support. Regarding personality measures, psychedelic drug users scored higher on the novelty-seeking and self-transcendence scales, and lower on cooperativeness.Conclusion: Our findings showed that regular users of psychedelic drugs had less psychological stress and some personality differences when compared to occasional users and non-users. This suggests that either the use of psychedelics might be a protective factor itself or people with certain previous traits are more prone to frequently using psychedelic drugs. Future prospective longitudinal research should investigate the underlying processes observed in this study to develop consistent hypotheses.

Psychedelic Mushrooms in the USA: Knowledge, Patterns of Use, and Association With Health Outcomes

“…These findings were distinctly different from those of a recent international study which showed that regular users of psychedelic drugs had less psychological stress compared to occasional users and non-users, suggesting that the use of psychedelics might either be a protective factor or that people with certain traits were more prone to frequently use psychedelic drugs (27). This difference could be ascribed to our study focusing on any use rather than regular use, or that PM users in the US comprise a distinctly different demographic group as compared to their international counterparts.…”

Psychedelic mushrooms in the USA: Knowledge, patterns of use and association with health outcomes

“…These findings were distinctly different from a recent international study which showed that regular users of psychedelic drugs had less psychological stress compared to occasional users and non-users, suggesting that the use of psychedelics might either be a protective factor or that people with certain traits were more prone to frequently use psychedelic drugs (34). This difference could either be ascribed to our study focusing on any use rather than regular use, or that PM users in the US comprise a distinctly different demographic grouping than their international counterparts.…”

Ayahuasca and Public Health II: Health Status in a Large Sample of Ayahuasca-Ceremony Participants in the Netherlands

“…The scientific information gathered to date suggests that ayahuasca has a good safety and tolerability profile (Bouso et al 2021) following acute administration in controlled settings (Riba et al 2001;Rocha et al 2021) and after prolonged ritual use (Barbosa et al 2012(Barbosa et al , 2016Bouso et al 2012;Gable 2007;Mello et al 2019). Observational evidence also suggests a low risk for abuse (Barbosa et al 2012(Barbosa et al , 2016Bouso et al 2012;Fábregas et al 2010;Gable 2007) and beneficial effects for substance-related disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and improvement of general well-being (Argento et al 2019;Bouso et al 2012;Cruz and Nappo 2018;Gable 2007;Gonzalez et al 2021;Grob et al 1996;Horák, Hasíková, and Verter 2018;Lawn et al 2017;Ona et al 2019;Perkins et al 2021aPerkins et al , 2021bRévész et al 2021).…”