Diminished psychedelic returns on distress: Marital status and household size

Abstract

Although the use of psychedelics to impact health has seen growth, little research has tested the effects of culture conditions on the relationship. More specifically, how does marital status and family size affect the relationship between psychedelics and health? This study tests the relationship between Lifetime Classic Psychedelic Use (LCPU), marital status, and household size (number of people living in a household) on levels of psychological distress in the past 30 days. This project uses pooled data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) (2010 to 2018) (N = 674,521). The Final sample size is determined by the dependent variable, psychological distress in the past month (n = 158,633). The analysis includes a series of nested logistic regression models conducted in Stata 17. Results indicate that LCPU is independently associated with better health, but the association between LCPU and health varies across levels of household size. Larger households are associated with higher levels of distress, which are then exacerbated among psychedelics users. Furthermore, three-way interactions reveal that the negative association between household size and distress gets larger among psychedelic users who are married, divorced, and widowed. Overall, results suggest that household size negatively impacts the association between LCPU and health, with those who are married, divorced, and widowed experiencing the worst outcomes.

Minorities’ Diminished Psychedelic Returns: Gender, Perceived Stigma, and Distress

“…Moreover, results revealed gender disparity in the relationship between psychedelics and perception of stigma, which adds to the growing evidence that the benefits of psychedelics on health outcomes appear to be diminished among marginalized subpopulations, including by race, socioeconomic status, employment status, educational level, marital status, and religious participation [2,[42][43][44][45]79]. The perception of increased stigma among women who use MDMA and psilocybin when they are distressed may be partially explained by a combination of stigmas and negative coping mechanisms.…”

“…It argues that cultural and structural inequalities can hinder access to resources and expose individuals to trauma or stress, resulting in diminished outcomes. Additionally, individuals with compromised conditions may lack the necessary factors for optimal health outcomes associated with psychedelic use or may have conditions that discourage positive use [43][44][45][46]. Systemic inequality may also lead marginalized psychedelic users to perceive more stigma, particularly during times of heightened distress, due to increased discrimination [47].…”

Stigma, psychedelics use, and the risk of reduced formal mental health care.

“…Stigma affects behaviors, and societal factors play a significant role in the effectiveness of psychedelics. Moreover, growing evidence finds that the positive impact of psychedelics on health vary among marginalized groups including by race, gender, marital status, employment status, and socioeconomic status (Viña, 2024a, 2024b, 2024c, 2024 d; Viña & Stephens, 2023a, 2023b). Given all the variation, it is crucial to consider social factors in decriminalization efforts and not rely solely on the potential health benefits of psychedelics.…”