Racial Disparities in Access to Psychedelic Treatments and Inclusion in Research Trials
Justin Morales, Erik Quan, Arslaan Arshed, Ayana Jordan
Psychiatric Annals December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.3928/00485713-20221123-01 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 27 |
| Key points | Argues that racial and ethnic minority populations are systematically underrepresented in psychedelic-assisted therapy research and proposes an antiracism framework to decolonize the field. |
Abstract
As psychedelic-assisted therapy research and clinical trials continue to grow, there is a positive outlook on the future, but also concerns about who will benefit. Most research shows that there is an obvious deficit of racial and ethnically minoritized populations, defined within the article, enrolling in studies. The objectives of this paper are (1) to provide a history of psychedelics and its resurgence over the last two decades; (2) to present an understanding of the racialization of psychedelics in the treatment of psychiatric disorders; (3) to showcase the current inequity of psychedelic medicine; and (4) to operationalize an antiracism framework for racial equity to decolonize psychedelic research, or remove the historically pervasive White power dynamic in hopes of shifting power back to the originating indigenous cultures. The psychedelic movement is in a rare place to optimize inclusion and this article aims to demonstrate how. [ Psychiatr Ann. 2022;52(12):494–499.]