Study shows psychedelic users were less stressed during pandemic lockdowns

A study of the mental health impact of the COVID-19 outbreak found that users of psychedelics experienced less stress during the pandemic than those who hadn’t consumed the drugs.

Before the pandemic, about 8.5 percent of adults in the United States said they were depressed. But as the nation experienced the fear, lockdown, and isolation associated with the COVID-19 outbreak, the number soared to 27.8 percent, according to data released last year. Prof Sandro Galea, dean of Boston University School of Public Health, said the mental health impact of the pandemic was unprecedented.

“Depression in the general population after previous major traumatic events has at most doubled,” he said after publishing research on psychological aspects of the pandemic last year.

Anxiety levels also increased during the pandemic, with researchers reporting a 14 percent increase in anxiety among residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

Psychedelics and depression

Other research has shown that psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin, have potential for treating mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and addiction. To find out whether psychedelic drug use affected the mental health effects of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers affiliated with organizations in the Netherlands, Spain and Brazil conducted a study of how previous psychedelic use affected mental health Health. The study was conducted from April to July last year, when much of the world was on lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.

The researchers conducted an online survey of 2,974 people, with most of the respondents living in Spain, Brazil, and the United States. Of the participants, 497 stated that they had regularly used psychedelics, 606 were occasional users and 1,968 stated that they had never used psychedelics. During the study period, most of the United States and Spain were locked, while Brazil was not.

The survey asked participants about their use of psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin, peyote, MDMA, ayahuasca, LSD, San Pedro, and 5-MeO-DMT, both before and after the outbreak, as well as information about the environments in which the Drugs were used, interviewed were used. Study participants also completed a series of questionnaires on mental distress, perceived social support, post-traumatic stress symptoms, mental status, and personality traits.

“Psychedelic drug users, especially regular users, reported less psychological distress, less peritraumatic stress, and more social support,” the study’s authors write.

Half of the participants who had used psychedelics said their previous use of the medication had a significant positive impact on their ability to cope with the stress associated with the lockdowns. About a third (35 percent) said their previous use of psychedelic drugs had not affected their ability to deal with them, and 16 percent said their experience with the compounds had a small positive impact.

Psychedelic drug users also reported having more access to outside areas and spending more time outdoors. Regular users of psychedelics also reported spending more time doing activities like music, meditation, yoga, and Pilates, while those who don’t use psychedelics spent more time doing aerobic exercise, video games, and watching TV, movies, and news-related COVID spend -19 pandemic.

Regular users are also less likely to follow suggested public health measures such as wearing face masks and gloves. In personality tests, people who reported using psychedelics scored higher on the scales for novelty search and self-transcendence and lower for willingness to cooperate.

Correlation or Causality?

The study also highlighted other consequences of the pandemic that could affect mental health. Almost a fifth of participants said they lost their jobs, while nearly half said their income fell during the outbreak.

The researchers wrote that although users of psychedelics experienced less stress during the pandemic, it was unclear whether the drugs were responsible for the difference. They called for further research and found that other factors, such as more access to outside spaces, more time outdoors, healthier eating habits, and less time watching or hearing news about the pandemic, could also have implications for mental health.

“Our results showed that regular users of psychedelic drugs had less psychological stress and some personality differences than casual users and non-users,” the study’s authors concluded. “This suggests that either psychedelic use itself could be a protective factor, or people with certain prior traits may be more prone to frequent psychedelic use.”

An article about the study “Cross-Sectional Associations Between Lifetime Use of Psychedelic Drugs and Psychometric Measures during the COVID-19 Confinement: A Transcultural Study” was published online by the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.