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Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin for Treating Psychological Distress among Survivors of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Evidence on Acceptability and Potential Efficacy of Psilocybin Use

Ashmita Grewal, Kalysha Closson, Gina Martin, Laura Baracaldo, Sandra Allison, Zach Walsh, Kiffer G. Card, Daniel J. Kruger

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 10, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2023.2268640 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed
Population Adults who had used psilocybin in the past three months
Intervention Psilocybin
Topics Psilocybin
Keywords Adverse childhood experiences Adverse effect Distress Hallucinogen Clinical psychology
Citations 11
Key findings The effect of adverse childhood experiences on psychological distress was lower for people who had recently used psilocybin.

Abstract

Survivors of adverse childhood experience are at elevated risk for psychological distress. In recent years, renewed interest in psychedelic medicine has highlighted the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for those who have experienced childhood adversity. However, recreational psilocybin use remains illegal and access to approved therapies is difficult. Such use provides an opportunity to explore the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for psychological distress among people with adverse childhood experiences. Therefore, we conducted an online survey to assess interest in, acceptability of, and experiences with psilocybin. We further explored whether the association between Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACEQ) scores and psychological distress was lower among those who had used psilocybin in the past three months. Results showed high levels of interest in and acceptability of psilocybin that did not differ across ACEQ scores. Results also showed that the effect of adverse childhood experiences on psychological distress was lower for people who had recently used psilocybin (p = .019). Taken together, these findings suggest that psilocybin therapy may be potentially acceptable and may feasibly help in supporting survivors of adverse childhood experiences with particularly strong benefits to those with more severe childhood adversity.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on psilocybin, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences Individuals who had consumed psilocybin mushrooms and experienced a psychologically... 2016 Cross-sectional survey n = 1,993
The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin 2016 Questionnaire development and validation
Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States 2013 Cross-sectional survey n = 130,152
Cessation and reduction in alcohol consumption and misuse after psychedelic use Individuals with prior alcohol use disorder who reported cessation or reduction in... 2019 Cross-sectional survey n = 343
Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students 2006 Cross-sectional survey n = 149

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Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy