Do undergraduates’ views of psychedelics relate to the context for psychedelic use?
Dan Petrovitch, Jason van Allen, Sean M. Mitchell, Andrew K. Littlefield
Drug Science, Policy and Law March 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/20503245241308747 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 277 |
| Population | Psychedelic-naïve undergraduates in the USA |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Context archaeology Aesthetics Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic-naïve undergraduates make limited distinctions between contexts for psychedelic use, generally viewing clinical contexts most positively, then microdosing, and naturalistic contexts least positively. |
Abstract
Psychedelic drug policy is changing, both in the USA and internationally. However, psychedelic use is not homogeneous, as there are multiple unique contexts for use, including clinical therapies, naturalistic use, and microdosing. There are notable differences between these contexts regarding emerging evidence for safety, therapeutic efficacy, likely future legality, and more. We compared psychedelic-naïve undergraduates’ views (expectancies, perceptions of benefits, and perceptions of harms) of psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide across each context. Item-level data were analyzed using non-parametric methods, correcting for multiple comparisons. Participants were 277 psychedelic-naïve undergraduates (75.81% female; 81.95% White; 76.17% non-Hispanic), with a mean age of approximately 19.50 years (standard deviation = 2.01). Only 19 out of 79 omnibus tests assessing views of psychedelics across contexts were statistically significant; when participants’ views of psychedelics were context dependent, they generally had the most positive views of clinical contexts, then microdosing, and, lastly, naturalistic contexts. This indicates that psychedelic-naïve undergraduates make limited distinctions between contexts for psychedelic use, which suggests that, in the USA, psychedelic-naïve undergraduates may benefit from education about differences between contexts, especially considering their potential to impact psychedelic drug policy. To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare views of psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide across three important, emerging contexts for psychedelic use.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 67
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
- Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Neuroreport December 1, 1998
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction Journal of Psychopharmacology September 11, 2014
and 62 more in the library