Psychedelics and Racial Trauma

Study of Psychedelics for Coping with Racial Trauma

Naturalistic Canada-US National Survey of BIPOC

Our lab has found that a single positive experience with a psychedelic drug can help reduce stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) whose encounters with racism have had lasting harm. This is based on findings of retrospective study of over three-hundred participants from both Canada and the US, conducted in partnership with Dr. Alan Davis at Ohio State University. A cross-sectional internet-based survey included questions about experiences with racism, mental health symptoms, and acute and enduring psychedelic effects.

Participants reported that their trauma-related symptoms linked to racist acts were lowered in the 30 days after an experience with either psilocybin, LSD or MDMA. The experience with psychedelic drugs was so powerful that participants could recall and report on changes in symptoms from racial trauma that they had experienced in their lives, and they remembered it having a significant reduction in their mental health problems afterwards. The study also showed that the more intensely spiritual and insightful the psychedelic experience was, the more significant the recalled decreases in trauma-related symptoms were. Future studies should examine the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy for individuals with a history of race-based trauma.

Cannonical Correlation figure linking psychedelic experiences to improved mental health.

There has been much global interest in this study, and as a result some media outlets have used misleading titles in their descriptions of this project. It is important to note that neither the CMHD nor any of our research publications advocate taking illegal substances.

Publications

Williams, M., Davis, A., Xin, Y., Sepeda, N., Colon-Grigas, P., Sinnott, S., & Haeny, A. (2021). People of color in North America report improvements in racial trauma and mental health symptoms following psychedelic experiences. Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy, 28(3), 215-226. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2020.1854688

Davis, A. K., Xin, Y., Sepeda, N. D., Garcia-Romeu, A., & Williams, M. T. (2021). Increases in psychological flexibility mediate the relationship between acute psychedelic effects and decreases in racial trauma symptoms among people of color. Chronic Stress, 5, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/24705470211035607

De la Salle, S., Davis, D. D., Gran-Ruaz, S., Davis, A. K., & Williams, M. T. (2022). Acute and enduring effects of psychedelic use among Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States. Canadian Psychology, 63(4), 589–607. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000338

Ching, T., Davis, A. K., Xin, Y., & Williams, M. T. (2023). Effects of psychedelic use on racial trauma symptoms and ethnic identity among Asians in North America. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 55(1), 19-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2022.2025960

Haeny, A. H., Lopez, J., Grigas, P. C., Crouch, M., Davis, A. K., & Williams, M. (2023). Investigating the associations of acute psychedelic experiences and changes in racial trauma symptoms, psychological flexibility, and substance use among People with Racial and Ethnic Minoritized Identities in the United States and Canada. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 149, 209035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2023.209035

Selected Presentations

Lopez, J., Colón Grigas, P. A., Haeny, A., Williams, M., & Davis A. K. (2020, Nov 21). Racial trauma, substance use, and psychedelics. Grad Students Association for Psychedelic Studies (GSAPS) 2nd Annual Convergence.

Davis, A. K., Williams, M. T., Sinnot, S., Gringas, P., Sepeda, N., & Haeny, A. (2020, September 24). Psychedelic-occasioned decreases in trauma symptoms among people of color who have a history of racial trauma. Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research, Haarlem, The Netherlands.

Global Media Coverage

Drs. Alan Davis and Monnica Williams discuss the study and the implications of treating racial trauma with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

Chambers D. (2021, 5 January). Could magic mushrooms heal South Africans with racial trauma? Based on a new study, the answer could be yes. Sunday Times Daily. South Africa.
ANI. (2021, January 2). Here's how one may lessen trauma of racial injustice. Big News Network. United Arab Emirates.
Eurasia Review. (2020, December 30). Study Claims ‘Positive’ Psychedelic Drug Use May Lessen Trauma Of Racial Injustice. Eurasia Review News & Analysis. Netherlands.
Curtis, S. (2020, December 30). Victims of racism should take Ecstasy or magic mushrooms to reduce the trauma of their experience, study suggests. Daily Mail. UK.
Cost, B. (2020, December 30). Racism victims should drop acid, ecstasy to reduce trauma: study. New York Post. USA.
Caldwell, E. (2020, December 28). One psychedelic experience may lessen trauma of racial injustice. Ohio State University News. USA.

A black woman coping with racial trauma.