The Need for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Black Community and the Burdens of Its Provision

Abstract

Psychedelic medicine is an emerging field that examines entheogens, psychoactive substances that produce non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC). 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is currently in phase-3 FDA clinical trials in the United States (US) and Canada to treat the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MDMA is used in conjunction with manualized therapy, because of its effectiveness in reducing fear-driven stimuli that contribute to trauma and anxiety symptoms. In 2017, the FDA designated MDMA as a “breakthrough therapy,” signaling that it has advantages in safety, efficacy, and compliance over available medication for the treatment of trauma-, stress-, and anxiety-related disorders such as PTSD. In the US and Canada, historical and contemporary racial mistreatment is frequently experienced by Black people via a variety of macro and micro insults. Such experiences trigger physiological responses of anxiety and fear, which are associated with chronically elevated stress hormone levels (e.g., cortisol and epinephrine), similar to levels documented among those diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. This paper will explore the benefits of entheogens within psychedelic assisted-therapy and their potential benefits in addressing the sequelae of pervasive and frequent negative race-based experiences and promoting healing and thriving among Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC). The author(s) discuss the ethical responsibility for providing psychedelic-assisted therapy within a culturally competent provider framework and the importance of psychedelic researchers to recruit and retain BIPOC populations in research and clinical training.

Race and ethnicity moderate the associations between lifetime psychedelic use (MDMA/ecstasy and psilocybin) and major depressive episodes

“…Lastly, these researchers also suggest that psychedelic investigators and therapists consult a list of racial justice-oriented psychedelic clinics (e.g., The Sage Institute, Behavioral Wellness Clinic) and anti-racism resources (e.g., Williams, 2020) to facilitate self-study in culturally competent psychedelic treatment and research. Overall, Smith et al (2022) provide clear and actionable steps toward greater equity and diversity within the field of psychedelic medicine and the findings from this study lend suggestive and preliminary support for their recommendations.…”

“…Lastly, in light of the findings observed within this study, researchers can also refer to Smith et al (2022) as these researchers provide many excellent recommendations to facilitate the development of more robust psychedelic therapies for diverse populations. Among their core recommendations, these researchers suggest that newly formed psychedelic centers at Predominantly White Institutions reach out to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to collaborate, as these partnerships can benefit all parties and promote the development of diverse and culturally competent psychedelic treatment providers and researchers.…”

Racism and censorship in the editorial and peer review process

“…Racism is stigmatised, which means that simply asking how people feel about people of other races will not normally provide accurate results. This point about empathy is particularly relevant due to its impacts for the field of psychology and the peer-review and publication processes, in particular (Smith et al, 2022). The results of these studies reveal that people exhibit greater empathy towards individuals with a similar skin colour (Berlingeri et al, 2016;Harjunen et al, 2022), and White individuals exhibit an anti-Black bias.…”

Entheogens: Psychedelic religion in the United States, part two

“…Scholars interested in psychedelics and entheogens have embraced this concept and have applied its methodological lens to psychedelics. Several studies have addressed psychedelics and race (Neitzke‐Spruill, 2020; Smith et al., 2022; Smith et al., 2022; Williams et al., 2021). Scholars influenced by intersectionality studies have also addressed psychedelics, sexuality, and gender (Belser, Cavnar, and Labate, 2022; Cavnar, 2014; Hartman, 2019).…”