Classic Psychedelic Use and Mechanisms of Mental Health: Exploring the Mediating Roles of Spirituality and Emotion Processing on Symptoms of Anxiety, Depressed Mood, and Disordered Eating in a Community Sample

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A resurgence of research has begun to systematically examine the relationship between psychedelic use and mental health and well-being. Although preliminary findings examining the therapeutic value of these substances show promise, the mechanisms through which psychedelic use may predict reduced mental distress remain poorly understood. To this end, we surveyed a community sample of individuals ( n = 159) who endorsed lifetime psychedelic use to examine relationships among psychedelic use and self-reported spirituality, difficulties in emotion regulation, and symptoms of mental health issues. Results revealed a pathway through which classic psychedelic use predicted greater spirituality, which in turn predicted better emotion regulation, ultimately predicting lower levels of anxiety, depressed mood, and disordered eating. These results contribute to our understanding of potential mechanisms of change with respect to psychedelics and mental health. They also add to the growing body of literature pointing to the healing effects of the cultivation of spirituality and emotion regulation as separate and related constructs.