Exploring Cultural Competence, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy: A Phenomenological Study.
Dave Rojas, Diane C Zelman, Alexander O Hauson, Irina Alexander
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs May 2, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2341811 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Phenomenological qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Culturally diverse and low-income individuals (Hispanic, African American, Asian, Native American, biracial, or LGBTQIA+) receiving ketamine-assisted psychotherapy at a sliding-scale fee community clinic |
| Intervention | Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy |
| Duration | Interviews after a ketamine session, after a ketamine integration session, and one month later |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Culture Diversity Ethnicity Psychedelic psychotherapy Race Sexuality Mental-health-equity Psychedelic-therapy Cultural-competency Marginalized-communities Healthcare-access |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Culture, race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identity, stigma, and financial barriers are highly salient in the ketamine-assisted psychotherapy experience, and these factors must be integrated into treatment planning and outcome research. |
Abstract
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and other minoritized populations are insufficiently represented in research on therapeutic psychedelics. This research was a phenomenological qualitative exploration of a culturally diverse (Hispanic, African American, Asian, Native American, biracial, or LGBTQIA+) and low-income sample of 15 individuals receiving ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) at a sliding-scale fee community clinic. Participants were interviewed after a ketamine session, after a ketamine integration session, and one month later. The interviews inquired about mental and emotional state prior to treatment and the treatment context (traditionally called set and setting), preparation for treatment, experiences during the ketamine and integration sessions, barriers to treatment, perceived stigma if any, reflections on KAPs' impact, and relevance of culture to the treatment. The current analysis, which focuses on participant comments related to diversity, equity, and inclusion that are uniquely relevant to this sample and the research goals, yielded four major themes: Insufficient Financial Resources, Race, Ethnicity, and LGBTQIA+, Stigma, and Culture and Ritual. Themes and subthemes are presented accompanied by representative quotes. Results demonstrate the high salience of culture in the KAP experience and the need to incorporate issues of race, culture, stigma, ritual, and socioeconomic status into treatment planning and outcome research.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Ketamine Integration Chaplaincy: A Novel Spiritual Care Approach to Psychedelic Integration Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2025
- Ketamine-Assisted Recovery (KARE): protocol for an open-label pilot trial of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for publicly insured patients with methamphetamine use disorder and HIV risks BMJ Open August 1, 2025
Cites 27
- Peak experiences and the afterglow phenomenon: When and how do therapeutic effects of hallucinogens depend on psychedelic experiences? Journal of Psychopharmacology February 9, 2015
- Ketamine versus ECT for Nonpsychotic Treatment-Resistant Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine May 24, 2023
- Inclusion of people of color in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a review of the literature BMC Psychiatry July 31, 2018
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Repeated Ketamine Administration for Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry January 5, 2021
- The Role of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review Current Neuropharmacology November 12, 2014
and 22 more in the library