Lifetime use of psychedelics is associated with better mental health indicators during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background and aimsThe COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences represent a major challenge to the mental health and well-being of the general population. Building on previous work on the potential long-term benefits of psychedelics, we hypothesized that lifetime use of these drugs could be linked to better mental health indicators in the context of the ongoing pandemic.MethodsTwo anonymous online surveys were conducted between April and June 2020, including questions about lifetime experience with psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs, and psychometric scales designed to measure personality traits, anxiety, negative, and positive affect, well-being, and resilience. Principal component analysis was applied to divide the sample into groups of subjects based on their drug use reports.ResultsFive thousand six hundred eighteen participants (29.15 0.12 years, 71.97% female) completed both surveys and met the inclusion criteria, with 32.43% of the sample reporting at least one use of a psychedelic drug. Preliminary analyses showed that certain psychedelics were linked to improved mental health indicators, while other psychoactive drugs exhibited the opposite behavior. Lifetime psychedelic use was linked to increased openness and decreased conscientiousness, and to higher scores of positive affect. The reported number of past psychedelic experiences predicted higher scores of the secondary personality trait beta factor, which has been interpreted as a measure of plasticity. No significant associations between lifetime use of psychedelics and indicators of impaired mental health were observed.ConclusionWe did not find evidence of an association between lifetime use of psychedelics and poor mental health indicators. Conversely, experience with psychedelic drugs was linked to increased positive affect and to personality traits that favor resilience and stability in the light of the ongoing crisis.

Psychedelic Experiences During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From an International Online Survey

“…However, most data on beneficial effects of psychedelics originate from highly controlled clinical trials and cannot necessarily be generalized to recreational settings. Two recent papers investigated associations between lifetime psychedelic use and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in anonymous online surveys during the early COVID-19 pandemic ( 40 , 41 ). Cavanna et al ( 40 ) assessed lifetime use of psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs, as well as measures of personality, affect, well-being, and resilience in participants from Argentina.…”

“…Two recent papers investigated associations between lifetime psychedelic use and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in anonymous online surveys during the early COVID-19 pandemic ( 40 , 41 ). Cavanna et al ( 40 ) assessed lifetime use of psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs, as well as measures of personality, affect, well-being, and resilience in participants from Argentina. No associations between lifetime use of psychedelics and impaired mental health were observed.…”

Could classic psychedelics influence immigrants’ acculturation process? A narrative review contemplating how

“…Nonetheless, additional, albeit indirect, support for the idea that classic psychedelics have the potential to help immigrants deal with acculturative stressors like discrimination comes from two cross-sectional studies conducted in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. A two-part survey study conducted in Argentina on lifetime psychedelic use associated it with “enhanced resilience and well-being in the light of challenging situations” (Cavanna et al, 2021; p.91). Similarly, a transcultural study conducted primarily in Spain and Brazil exploring regular psychedelic use during this period showed classic psychedelic use to be associated with less psychological distress, causing the authors to allude to a protective factor offered by psychedelics during stressful events (Révész et al, 2021).…”

Commentary on Keyes and Patrick: Changes in psychedelic use in the United States may require changes in our narrative of psychedelic harms

“…This conclusion seems at odds with multiple sources of evidence that suggest that infrequent hallucinogen use, of the variety observed in this sample—which had a stable mean incidence of between two and three occasions of use in a year—rather than having damaging consequences for health, may indeed have beneficial effects. For example, both cross‐sectional [7] and longitudinal [8] surveys of users of hallucinogens during the coronavirus disease pandemic have shown greater well‐being and lower scores on measures of psychopathology than people who do not use hallucinogens. Keyes and Patrick's conclusions appear negatively biased in the face of a now large body of evidence that suggest increases in well‐being and improvements in psychopathology following infrequent hallucinogen use [7, 8].…”

“…For example, both cross‐sectional [7] and longitudinal [8] surveys of users of hallucinogens during the coronavirus disease pandemic have shown greater well‐being and lower scores on measures of psychopathology than people who do not use hallucinogens. Keyes and Patrick's conclusions appear negatively biased in the face of a now large body of evidence that suggest increases in well‐being and improvements in psychopathology following infrequent hallucinogen use [7, 8]. This is coupled with the fact that in this sample, increases in hallucinogen use were greatest in a group of white males of higher socio‐economic status.…”