Acute subjective effects of psychedelics in naturalistic group settings prospectively predict longitudinal improvements in trauma symptoms, trait shame, and connectedness among adults with childhood maltreatment histories.
C J Healy, Aaron Frazier, Stephen Kirsch, Anna Sanford, Albert Garcia‐romeu, Mcwelling Todman, Jeremy Varon, Wendy D'Andrea
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry April 2, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111361 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 85 |
| Population | Adults with maltreatment histories planning to use psychedelic drugs with therapeutic intent at ceremonies or raves |
| Intervention | Psychedelic drugs |
| Duration | 2-month follow-up |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Keywords | Maltreatment Naturalistic Psychedelics Shame Trauma |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | Mean scores in PTSD symptoms, complex PTSD symptoms, trait shame, social connectedness, and general connectedness significantly improved from baseline to two-month follow-up, with large effect sizes, and these changes correlated with acute subjective effects of the psychedelic experience. |
Abstract
Studies of psychedelic use in naturalistic and clinical settings have suggested safety and mental health benefits for adults with histories of childhood maltreatment. Acute psychological mechanisms that predict therapeutic benefits in this population, however, have yet to be determined. Two common group settings of naturalistic psychedelic use - organized ceremonies and raves or other electronic dance music events - might facilitate therapeutic psychedelic effects because of the unique psychosocial environments they comprise. This prospective, longitudinal study sought to investigate 2 primary questions: first, whether adults with maltreatment histories planning to use psychedelic drugs with therapeutic intent at ceremonies or raves would see enduring psychological benefits after their experiences; and second, whether subjective dimensions of the acute psychedelic experience would be associated with lasting psychological benefits. Eighty-five participants completed self-report measures in the month before, within 2 days after, and approximately 2 months after a planned psychedelic experience with therapeutic intent at a ceremony or rave assessing childhood maltreatment history; trauma symptoms, internalized (trait) shame, and connectedness at baseline and follow-up; and various dimensions of the acute subjective psychedelic experience. Mean scores in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, complex PTSD symptoms, trait shame, social connectedness, and general connectedness significantly improved from baseline to 2-month follow-up (ds = 0.73-1.12). Longitudinal changes in outcomes significantly correlated with acute subjective effects of the psychedelic experience. These findings have implications regarding both the potential clinical benefit of psychedelic use among adults with childhood maltreatment histories as well as the psychological mechanisms of therapeutic action of psychedelics.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Using Low Doses in a Small Sample of Women with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Women with chronic PTSD secondary to sexual assault | 2008 | Observational cohort | n = 6 |
| An Ambulatory Polysomnography Study of the Post-traumatic Nightmares of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment-seeking veterans, current serving military members, and emergency service... | 2017 | Observational study using ambulatory polysomnography | n = 35 |
| Increased Mastery Elements Associated With Imagery Rehearsal Treatment for Nightmares in Sexual Assault Survivors With PTSD. Female sexual assault survivors with chronic nightmares | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 44 |
| Posttraumatic stress symptoms following near-death experiences. Persons who report near-death experiences and those who came close to death without NDEs | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Impact of oral ketamine augmentation on hospital admissions in treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: a retrospective study. Outpatients with treatment-resistant depression and PTSD | 2018 | Retrospective review | n = 37 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Psychedelics in the age of reproducibility: Reflections on aura, set and setting and the medicalization of mystical-type experiences. International Journal of Drug Policy 2026
- Clinical pharmacology of ayahuasca: potential applications and future considerations Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology October 3, 2025
- Mixed-methods analysis on psychedelic-augmented meditation experiences from a randomized controlled mindfulness retreat Scientific Reports March 18, 2026
- Supporting desistance from crime: The promise of psychedelic-assisted therapy in correctional and reentry contexts. International Journal of Drug Policy December 1, 2025
- Ceremonial Psychedelic Experiences and Changes in Mental Health Outcomes in Those with Adverse Childhood Experiences Psychedelic Medicine December 15, 2025
Cites 119
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness Journal of Psychopharmacology September 28, 2011
- Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later Journal of Psychopharmacology May 30, 2008
and 114 more in the library