People of color in North America report improvements in racial trauma and mental health symptoms following psychedelic experiences

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the total sample (N = 313).

Characteristic	Total sample %
Race
Black or African heritage	32%
East Asian, South Asian, Asian American/Canadian	29%
Native American or, Indigenous Canadian	18%
Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, other	21%
Sex
Male	43%
Female	57%
Gender
Female	54%
Male	42%
Other	4%
Country
United States	47%
Canada	53%
Hispanic Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic	81%
Hispanic	19%
Annual household income (in USD before taxes)
Under $25,000	17%
$25,000–$34,999	10%
$35,000–$49,999	14%
$50,000–$74,999	22%
$75,000–$99,999	16%
Over $100,000	18%
Highest education level
Grade 7 to 12 (without graduating)	3%
High school, or equivalent	18%
Part college	22%
Graduated 2-year college	12%
Graduated 3- or 4-year college	31%
Part and complete graduate/professional school	14%
Marital status
Married	28%
Living with partner	23%
Divorced, Separated, or Widowed	10%
Never married	38%

Note. n = 313. Variables may not total to 100% due to rounding error.

Table 2. Psychedelic experiences of participants (N = 313).

	Total sample
Psychedelic experience	M (SD) or %
Age of experience	22.88 (7.15)
When psychedelic experience occurred
Within the past 30 days	5%
1–2 months ago	8%
3–6 months ago	6%
7–11 months ago	8%
1–2 years ago	14%
3–4 years ago	13%
5–6 years ago	9%
7–10 years ago	13%
More than 10 years ago	23%
Psychedelic experience dose
Low	7%
Moderate	38%
Moderately High	37%
High	19%
Type of psychedelic
LSD	36%
Psilocybin/mushrooms	37%
MDMA/Ecstasy	27%

Note: n = 313. Variables may not total to 100% due to rounding error.

Table 3. Frequency of experiences of discrimination from the M-GEDS (N = 313).

How often had … because of your race/ethnic group?	Mean	Std. Dev.	Occurs frequently
1. …you been treated unfairly by teachers and professors …	2.93	1.26	28.9%
2. …you been treated unfairly by your employers, bosses, and supervisors …	2.93	1.33	30.3%
3. …you been treated unfairly by your co-workers, fellow students and colleagues …	2.94	1.26	30.2%
4. …you been treated unfairly by people in service jobs (by store clerks, waiters, bartenders, bank tellers, and others) …	3.12	1.39	34.0%
5. …you been treated unfairly by strangers …	3.27	1.28	39.4%
6. …you been treated unfairly by people in helping jobs (by doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, case workers, dentists, school counselors, therapists, social workers, and others)	2.46	1.42	21.5%
7. …you been treated unfairly by neighbors …	2.69	1.41	24.1%
8. …you been treated unfairly by institutions (schools, universities, law firms, the police, the courts, the Department of Social Services, the Unemployment Office and others) …	2.80	1.46	30.1%
9. …you been treated unfairly by people that you thought were your friends …	2.57	1.43	23.9%
10. …you been accused or suspected of doing something wrong (such as stealing, cheating, not doing your share of the work, or breaking the law) …	2.94	1.44	32.8%
11. … people misunderstood your intentions and motives …	3.15	1.46	37.3%
12. …you wanted to tell someone off for being racist towards you but didn’t say anything?	3.47	1.55	44.8%
13. …you been really angry about something racist that was done to you?	3.35	1.44	42.5%
14. …you been forced to take drastic steps (such as filing a grievance, filing a lawsuit, quitting your job, moving away, and other actions) to deal with some racist thing that was done to you?	2.05	1.28	14.5%
15. …you been called a racist name?	3.05	1.25	34.5%
16. …you gotten into an argument or a fight about something racist that was done to you or done to another member of your race/ethnic group?	2.66	1.29	25.3%
17. …you been made fun of, picked on, pushed, shoved, hit, or threatened with harm…	2.74	1.29	24.6%

Table 4. Changes in symptoms before and after psychedelic experience (N = 313).

Measure (symptom)	Before psychedelic experience M(SD)	After psychedelic experience M(SD)	Difference score M(SD)	t-test	Cohen’s d
DASS-21-A (anxiety)	14.83 (4.92)	13.39 (4.38)	−1.45 (4.52)	5.66***	−.53
DASS-21-D (depression)	16.49 (5.50)	13.63 (4.49)	−2.86 (5.46)	9.28***	−.52
DASS-21-S (stress)	16.60 (5.10)	14.21 (4.38)	−2.40 (5.36)	7.91***	−.32
TSDS (racial trauma)	34.50 (16.01)	25.86 (14.18)	−8.64 (16.19)	9.44***	−.45

Note: n = 313; DASS-21-A: Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale – anxiety subscale; DASS-21-D: Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale – depression subscale; DASS-21-S: Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale – stress subscale; TSDS: Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale. ***p < .001.

Figure 1. Canonical Correlation Analysis (N = 313), F_20,1009 = 5.571, p < .001; correlation =.52. Variance explained: Set 1 (acute effects): .29; Set 2 (MH variables): .68. Control variables: Time since psychedelic experience occurred and frequency of ethnic discrimination prior to psychedelic experience. ***p<.001.