New research has found that race and ethnicity moderate the associations between the use of psychedelic drugs and major depressive episodes in a large, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. The findings have been published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
In recent years, psychedelic substances such as MDMA and psilocybin have undergone clinical studies to explore their potential therapeutic benefits, with promising results in areas including depression and anxiety. However, this research is still in its earliest stages, and little is known about the relationship between race and psychedelic-induced improvements to mental health.
“I was interested in the topic because there is a lack of research about psychedelics, race, and mental health,” said study author Grant M. Jones, a clinical psychology PhD student at Harvard University. “Most of the treatment studies have been conducted using majority White samples. So for me, this is my way of starting to raise questions and launch inquires into the intersection of psychedelics, mental health, and race — and seeing how identity might impact the associations that psychedelics have with mental health.”
For his study, Jones analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The data, collected between 2005 and 2019, included responses from 596,187 U.S. adults. The sample included 128,243 non-Hispanic racial minorities, 96,493 Hispanic individuals, and 371,451 non-Hispanic Whites. As part of the survey, participants reported whether they had ever used a variety of drugs, including MDMA and psilocybin.
After controlling for sex, age, educational attainment, engagement in risky behavior, household income, marital status, and the use of other drugs, Jones found that MDMA and psilocybin use were both associated with lowered odds of lifetime depression, past year depression, and past year severe depression among non-Hispanic Whites.
However, MDMA and psilocybin use were only associated with lowered odds of past year depression among Hispanic participants. Additionally, MDMA and psilocybin use were unrelated to depression among Black, Asian, and multiracial participants. Among Indigenous participants, the use of MDMA and psilocybin were associated with increased odds of lifetime depression and past year depression.
The findings raise “questions about whether you might see similar associations in a treatment context,” Jones told PsyPost. In addition, he noted that the findings were surprisingly consistent with a similar study that examined the link between MDMA/psilocybin use and psychological distress and suicidality.
Jones and his colleague Matthew K. Nock outlined some potential mechanisms that may underlie the results. One such mechanism might be the “set and setting,” which refers to an individual’s mindset and their environment, respectively. These two factors “are reported to have a marked impact on the effects of these compounds,” the researchers explained. “Unfortunately, in the American ‘setting,’ racism, prejudice, and discrimination are deep-rooted features of the minority experience and may thus negatively impact the minority psychedelic experience.”
However, Jones noted that the findings are correlational. “It doesn’t mean that psychedelics have weaker effects for treating mental health disorders for racial and ethnic minorities,” he said. It is also possible that unaccounted demographic factors contribute to the observed findings.
“I hope there is more research in this area because it is a very important intersection and there is very little research,” Jones concluded.
The study, “Race and ethnicity moderate the associations between lifetime psychedelic use (MDMA/ecstasy and psilocybin) and major depressive episodes“, was published online on October 31, 2022.