Exploration of the Use of Psychedelics and Harm Reduction Strategies Among Spanish-Speaking Sexual Minorities

Background and Purpose: Recently, there has been an increasing interest in understanding how the use of harm reduction strategies impacts a psychedelic experience. However, sexual minorities and non-English speaking people have historically been underrepresented in psychedelic research. Therefore, the present study aims to explore how the use of harm reduction strategies impacts the psychedelic experiences among sexual minorities who participated in an online survey of Spanish-speaking people who have used psilocybin or LSD.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, international, observational study of Spanish-speaking people, we examined the association between the use of harm reduction strategies (e.g., obtaining the drug from a trusted source, preparing music, journaling following experience for reflection) and acute psychedelic effects. Of the 442 participants in the study, 87 (20%) identified as a sexual minority (homosexual=25%; bisexual=67%; asexual=8%). Respondents completed an anonymous web-based survey assessing a meaningful experience with either psilocybin or LSD. We asked respondents about their demographics and background characteristics, and acute psychedelic effects (e.g., mystical experiences, challenging experiences, psychological insight, and ego dissolution). Additionally, we asked participants about the harm reduction strategies that they utilized before, during, and after their meaningful psychedelic experience.

Results: To investigate the connection between harm reduction strategy, use and associations with acute psychedelic effects and prosocial behaviors, we conducted comparisons between individuals who did and did not report using each of 16 harm reduction strategies. Higher mystical experience scores were associated with the use of the following strategies: meditation (p<.05; Cohen’s d=.78) and preparing a comfy (p<.05; Cohen’s d= .79) and safe (p<.05; Cohen’s d= .79) space for their psychedelic experience. Additionally, higher psychological insight scores were associated with use of the following strategies: researching the psychedelic substance before use (p<.05; Cohen’s d= 1.19), writing about an experience after use (p<.05; Cohen’s d= 1.09), and preparing music for the session (p<.05; Cohen’s d= 1.18). Similarly, higher ego dissolution score was associated with use of the following strategies: prepared music for their session (p<.05; Cohen’s d= 1.09). Moreover, lower challenging experience scores were associated with using the following strategies: using a proper dosing protocol (p<.05; Cohen’s d= 1.06), obtaining the drug from a trusted source (p<.05; Cohen’s d= 1.04), and utilizing a distraction-free environment (p<.05; Cohen’s d= 1.06).

Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest that certain harm reduction strategies are associated with acute psychedelic experiences among Spanish-speaking sexual minorities. Respondents who utilized various harm reduction strategies reported fewer challenging experiences and increased mystical, insight, and ego-dissolution experiences. These results are particularly relevant for underrepresented groups, such as Spanish-speaking sexual minorities, who have historically been overlooked in psychedelic research. However, more research is needed to fully understand the impact of harm reduction strategies on these populations and to ensure their safety and support in future clinical trial protocols.