Reported Improvements in Racial Trauma and Mental Health Outcomes Following Psilocybin Experiences Among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Population in North America

Background and Purpose: Explore the self-reported impact of the psilocybin experience on symptoms of racial trauma and mental health outcomes subsequent to an experience of racism among black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) population in North America. Method: Data was collected in September 2019 through a cross-sectional internet-based survey of BIPOC who experienced racial trauma and used psilocybin in non-clinical settings. Survey included questions about experiences with racism, mental health symptoms, and acute and enduring psychedelic effects. Changes in mental health were assessed by a retrospective report of symptoms in the 30 days before and 30 days after an experience with psilocybin. Diverse BIPOC in the United States and Canada who met the inclusion eligibility were recruited (N=115; Female=57%; Non-Hispanic=81%; Asian American/Canadian=32%, Black=24%; Canada=62%). Descriptive analyses, paired samples t-tests, and a canonical correlation analysis were conducted. Results: Results revealed a significant reduction in traumatic stress symptoms (p < .001; d = .73) from before-to-after the psilocybin experience. Similarly, participants reported decreases in depression symptoms (p < .001; d = .67), anxiety symptoms (p < .001; d = .37), and stress (p < .001; d = .59) from before-to-after the psilocybin experience. There was also a significant relationship (R_c = 0.62, p < .001) between the dimension of acute psychedelic effects (greater intensity of acute mystical-type effects, greater intensity of acute insight effects, and lower intensity of acute challenging effects of the psychedelic experiences) and decreases in a cluster of subsequent psychopathology (traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and stress), while controlling for the frequency of prior ethnic discrimination events and the time since the psilocybin experience occurred. Conclusions and Implications: BIPOC have been underrepresented in psychedelic studies. This study is the first to explore how mental health symptoms among BIPOC who have experienced racial trauma can change after psilocybin experiences in the natural ecology. These data suggest that psilocybin may have the potential in decreasing the negative impact of racial trauma and related mental health outcomes among BIPOC. Future studies should examine the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy for individuals with a history of race-based trauma.