Journal of psychoactive drugs
January 1, 2025
Sean M Viña
12 citations
Lifetime classic psychedelic use and religious participation are each independently linked to a lower likelihood of committing violent assault. The protective association between risky behavior and violence is weaker among people who consider religion highly salient in their lives. Among those who have used psychedelics, the link between risky behavior and violence is smallest for individuals with strong religious salience. Both religious attendance and personal religious significance appear to work together in shaping this relationship.
Psychedelic Medicine
April 22, 2025
Sean M Viña
6 citations
Lifetime use of psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and DMT is linked to reduced psychological distress from internalized stigma about seeking mental health care, but this association varies by gender and race/ethnicity. Analyzing data from the National Survey of Drug Use (2008–2019) with a weighted sample of 458,372, the study found that stigma is statistically associated with higher distress overall. For White men, psychedelic use (especially LSD and DMT) showed stronger links to lower stigma-related distress, whereas these benefits appeared weaker for other groups, including women and people of color. The authors caution that the direction and mechanisms remain unclear and that minority groups may not experience the same level of benefit.
Drug Science Policy and Law
April 1, 2025
Sean M Viña
4 citations
Racial and ethnic minorities appear to gain fewer mental health benefits from psychedelic use compared to non-Hispanic Whites, and in some cases psychedelic use is linked to worse mental health among Black and Asian populations. Analyzing data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (2005–2019) on nearly 600,000 individuals, the study examined associations between various psychedelics and outcomes including depression, suicidal ideation, and psychological distress. While psychedelic use was associated with better mental health among non-Hispanic Whites, there were fewer such positive associations among Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals, and just as many instances where use was linked to worse mental health, especially for Black and Asian groups.
Research Square
February 25, 2026
Sean M Viña
Lifetime psychedelic use is not independently linked to lower odds of missing needed mental health treatment after accounting for psychological distress. However, among people with higher distress, those who have used psychedelics—especially men—show a smaller increase in missed care compared to non-users. For women, only MDMA use shows a similar buffering effect. The findings indicate that psychedelic exposure does not uniformly improve treatment engagement and that gender differences exist in how distress relates to disengagement from care. Structural inequality may produce diminished benefits for women despite similar distress levels.