A Primer for Culturally Attuned Psychedelic Research
June 3, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/q8npu via OpenAlex
Summary
Culturally attuned psychedelic research is essential for improving accessibility to mental health treatments for Black, Indigenous, and Peoples of Color (BIPOC) and queer communities. The primer identifies psychological and pragmatic barriers such as stigma, mistrust, and logistical issues that hinder participation. It also suggests strategies for recruitment and retention, including diversifying research teams and improving community outreach. Implementing these recommendations can help create a more inclusive evidence base for psychedelic treatments.
Study at a glance
| Population | BIPOC and sexual- and gender-diverse populations primarily in the United States |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Psychological and pragmatic barriers to diversity in psychedelic research include stigma, medical mistrust, and logistical challenges. |
Abstract
Background: Systemic diversification of psychedelic research is needed, in light of interest in psychedelics for healing among Black, Indigenous, and Peoples of Color (BIPOC) and queer communities. Doing so also contributes to an inclusive evidence base, ethically meeting the anticipated demand for psychedelic treatments post-approval. Aims: Here, a primer for culturally attuned psychedelic research is presented. This primer covers common psychological and pragmatic barriers to diversity – as part of set and setting – in modern psychedelic research, as well as potential strategies for culturally attuned recruitment, assessment, and retention of diverse participants. Methods: This primer non-exhaustively synthesizes existing literature on barriers and potential strategies for culturally attuned psychedelic research. This primer focuses on classic psychedelics and other drugs with similar consciousness-altering effects, including 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and ketamine. This primer also limits ‘diversity’ to BIPOC and sexual- and gender-diverse populations, primarily in the United States. Results: Psychological and pragmatic barriers include drug and mental health stigma, medical mistrust, history of psychedelic-assisted conversion therapy, income disparities, schedule inflexibilities, and transportation inaccessibility. Culturally attuned recruitment, assessment, and retention strategies include queering and diversifying the study team, debinarizing the therapist dyad, developing culturally attuned flyers, investing in community outreach, using language in a culturally attuned way, improving access through transportation, diversifying the dosing room setup, and using culturally attuned instruments. Conclusions: Psychedelic research groups are encouraged to adapt and enact these recommendations as appropriate in their clinical trials, to improve accessibility to innovative mental health treatments for diverse populations.