Increases in Psychological Flexibility Mediate the Relationship between Acute Psychedelic Effects and Decreases in Racial Trauma Symptoms Among People of Color

Background and Purpose: Previous research has shown that psychedelic effects are associated with decreases in post-traumatic stress and other mental health symptoms. These positive outcomes have also been shown to be mediated by increases in psychological flexibility that occurs as a result of the psychedelic experience. However, people of color are at risk for experiencing various forms of trauma, including racially based trauma and discrimination as well as other forms of mental health problems, and yet people of color are underrepresented in psychedelic research studies. Thus, this study was designed to examine the relation between acute psychedelic effects and changes in racial trauma symptoms among people of color who reported experiencing race-based trauma and explore whether psychological flexibility mediated this relationship. Methods: The present cross-sectional survey study included 517 people of color (M_age=33.4, SD=11.1), and a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between acute psychedelic effects (psychological insight, mystical-type, and challenging experiences) and decreases in racial trauma symptoms following a psychedelic experience in a non-clinical setting. Next, we conducted a path analysis to explore whether changes in psychological flexibility mediated the relationship between the acute effects of psychedelics and decreases in racial trauma symptoms. Results: The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that acute psychedelic effects were significantly associated with decreases in racial trauma symptoms following a psychedelic experience (insight: β=.25, p<.001; mystical-type: β=.16, p<.01; challenging: β =-.35, p<.001). While controlling for the race of participants, the path analysis showed that greater intensity of mystical-type experiences (β=.06, p<.05) and less intensity of challenging experiences (β=-.11, p<.01) were directly related to decreases in racial trauma symptoms. Findings also revealed that greater intensity of psychological insight (β=.29, p<.001) and mystical-type experiences (β=.16, p<.01), and less intensity of challenging experiences (β =-.39, p<.001), were directly related to increases in psychological flexibility, and increases in psychological flexibility (β=-.63, p<.001) were directly related to decreases in racial trauma symptoms. Mediation was demonstrated through indirect effects, wherein increases in psychological flexibility fully mediated the relationship between increases in psychological insight (β=.18, p<.001) and decreases in racial trauma symptoms; and partially mediated the relationships between increases in mystical-type experiences (β=.10, p<.01) and decreases in challenging experiences (β=-.24, p<.001), and decreases in racial trauma symptoms. Model fit was excellent (RMSEA=.000, CFI=1.00, TLI=1.02, WRMR=.052). Conclusions and Implications: This research suggests that psychedelics appear to decrease racial trauma symptoms among people of color, and psychological flexibility may be an important mediator of psychedelic effects on racial trauma symptoms. Future studies should further explore the effects of psychedelic drugs among people of color to better understand the psychological processes that underly different therapeutic effects of these substances.