Acute subjective effects of psychedelics in naturalistic group settings prospectively predict longitudinal improvements in trauma symptoms, trait shame, and connectedness among adults with childhood maltreatment histories

Summary & key facts

Researchers followed 85 adults who had histories of childhood maltreatment and who planned to take a psychedelic drug at a group ceremony or at a rave. The people filled out surveys before, a couple days after, and about two months after their planned psychedelic experience. On average, symptoms related to trauma and deep shame went down, and feelings of connection to other people and to life went up. The size of those improvements was moderate to large, and the researchers found that how people reported feeling during the drug experience was linked to how much they improved later. Because this was a natural, self-chosen setting and used only self-report surveys, the study shows a link but cannot prove the drugs caused the improvements.

Key facts:

• The study followed 85 adults with histories of childhood maltreatment who planned a psychedelic experience in a ceremony or at a rave.
• People completed surveys in the month before, within two days after, and about two months after their planned experience.
• On average, posttraumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD symptoms were lower at the two-month check.
• Trait shame (a lasting feeling of being deeply flawed) also decreased on average by the two-month follow-up.
• Social connectedness and general feelings of being connected to others increased on average at two months.
• The size of these changes was in the moderate-to-large range, according to the study's reported effect estimates.
• Changes in symptoms and connectedness were linked to how people described their immediate experience during the psychedelic session, meaning the acute experience predicted later outcomes.
• All measures came from participants’ self-reports in a natural, non-clinical setting, so the study shows associations but does not prove that the psychedelic use caused the improvements.

Abstract

Studies of psychedelic use in naturalistic and clinical settings have suggested safety and mental health benefits for adults with histories of childhood maltreatment. Acute psychological mechanisms that predict therapeutic benefits in this population, however, have yet to be determined. Two common group settings of naturalistic psychedelic use - organized ceremonies and raves or other electronic dance music events - might facilitate therapeutic psychedelic effects because of the unique psychosocial environments they comprise. This prospective, longitudinal study sought to investigate 2 primary questions: first, whether adults with maltreatment histories planning to use psychedelic drugs with therapeutic intent at ceremonies or raves would see enduring psychological benefits after their experiences; and second, whether subjective dimensions of the acute psychedelic experience would be associated with lasting psychological benefits. Eighty-five participants completed self-report measures in the month before, within 2 days after, and approximately 2 months after a planned psychedelic experience with therapeutic intent at a ceremony or rave assessing childhood maltreatment history; trauma symptoms, internalized (trait) shame, and connectedness at baseline and follow-up; and various dimensions of the acute subjective psychedelic experience. Mean scores in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, complex PTSD symptoms, trait shame, social connectedness, and general connectedness significantly improved from baseline to 2-month follow-up (ds = 0.73-1.12). Longitudinal changes in outcomes significantly correlated with acute subjective effects of the psychedelic experience. These findings have implications regarding both the potential clinical benefit of psychedelic use among adults with childhood maltreatment histories as well as the psychological mechanisms of therapeutic action of psychedelics.

Topics

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Clinical psychology Computer science Developmental psychology Longitudinal study Medicine Naturalistic observation Pathology Programming language Psychiatry Psychology Psychotherapist Shame Social connectedness Social psychology Trait

Substances

Other

Conditions & symptoms

PTSD Feeling disconnected from others