The resurgence of psychedelic science for treating psychiatric conditions like depression, PTSD, and addiction owes much to indigenous healing practices, yet the contributions of indigenous people, ethnic and racial minorities, women, and other disenfranchised groups are often overlooked in the mainstream narrative. This review first highlights the traditional role of psychedelic plants and summarizes the history of psychedelic medicine, then explores historical and sociocultural factors that have led to unequal research participation and treatment. It recommends broadening the Western medical framework to include a cultural focus and inclusive approaches for future treatment development and dissemination.
African American women have been largely absent from psychedelic research as both participants and researchers, and little attention has been paid to how psychedelics might address traumas caused by racialization. In an FDA-approved clinical trial and training exercise, three African American female therapists each used MDMA once. The primary themes that emerged from their varied experiences were strength, safety, connection, and managing oppression/racialization. These experiences were personally meaningful and instructive for how Western models of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy could be more effective and accessible to the Black community. The paper discusses the importance of facilitator training that incorporates cultural, racial, and spiritual themes, and considers Functional Analytic Psychotherapy as an adjunct to current psychedelic-therapy approaches.
Black Americans reported more positive views of psychedelic-assisted therapy than White Americans after receiving brief psychoeducation about MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapy. Among 294 adults (44% Black/African American or Mixed Race with Black ancestry, 56% White American; average age 36.3 years), psychoeducation increased interest and positivity across both groups. Greater depression and PTSD symptom severity was linked to higher baseline interest in both groups, and Black participants with more severe depression showed even greater interest and more positive views. The findings suggest that research groups, not potential participants, are responsible for diversifying clinical trial samples and that rebuilding trust and providing culturally attuned interventions is needed.
Equity and diversity are essential for inclusive psychedelic research, yet oversights and misattributions of key figures persist. Dr. Valentina Pavlovna Wasson, an important early contributor to Western psychedelic science, remains under-recognized. Researchers must critically examine the foundations of psychedelic studies with an intersectional lens to avoid replicating social and cultural inequalities in the field's research and history.