Men who had ever used LSD or psilocybin mushrooms were less likely to report having physically assaulted their current partner (odds ratio 0.42). This link was explained by better emotion regulation among male psychedelic users. The same pattern did not appear for women. The findings come from an online survey of 1,266 community members aged 16–70 and suggest that improved emotional control may be one reason psychedelic use is associated with lower intimate partner violence in men.
A survey of 159 people who had used classic psychedelics found that such use was linked to greater spirituality, which in turn predicted better emotion regulation, and ultimately lower levels of anxiety, depressed mood, and disordered eating. The results suggest a pathway through which psychedelic use may improve mental health by first enhancing spirituality and then improving the ability to manage emotions. The findings add to evidence that cultivating spirituality and emotion regulation may be healing mechanisms, though the study does not establish causation.