Cross-sectional associations between lifetime use of psychedelic drugs and psychometric measures during the COVID-19 confinement: A transcultural study
In a cross‑sectional online survey of 2,974 English, Portuguese and Spanish speakers during the first COVID‑19 lockdown, regular lifetime users of psychedelic drugs reported lower psychological distress and peritraumatic stress and greater perceived social support than occasional users and non‑users. They also scored higher on novelty‑seeking and self‑transcendence and lower on cooperativeness, suggesting either a protective effect of psychedelics or pre‑existing personality differences that predispose to regular use.
Authors
- Jamie Hallak
- Rafael dos Santos
- Gonzalo Ona
Published
Abstract
Background
One of the main public health strategies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic consisted of implementing strict lockdowns to stop the transmission of the virus. Despite being an effective measure, the confinement and the associated social isolation create a stressful, potentially lengthy situations that has been proven to have several psychological consequences. Given the potential benefits that certain psychedelic drugs have shown for the treatment of psychological disorders, this study aimed to assess the impact of lifetime psychedelic drug use on mental health in relation to the first strict lockdown adopted by various countries (April-July 2020).
Methods
Subjects completed an online survey that inquired about sociodemographic factors, activities, and lifestyle factors during confinement, as well as health and mental health related factors. Subjects were asked about their lifetime use of psychedelic drugs (MDMA, ayahuasca, psilocybin-containing mushrooms, LSD, peyote, San Pedro, Bufo alvarius or 5-MeO-DMT, and others), being classified as regular users (more than once per 6 months), occasional users, or non-users. The survey included psychometric tests used to assess psychological distress, peritraumatic stress, social support, psychopathological symptoms, and personality. Linear regressions were performed with psychedelic drug users as the independent variable and psychometric factors as the outcomes, while correcting for age, gender, language, religion, spirituality, and use of non-psychedelic drugs.
Results
The study included 2,974 English, Portuguese, and Spanish speakers (497 regular users of psychedelic drugs, 606 occasional users, and 1,968 non-users). On average, respondents were 36 years old and 70% were female. Psychedelic drug users, especially regular ones, reported less psychological distress, less peritraumatic stress, and more social support. Regarding personality measures, psychedelic drug users scored higher on the novelty-seeking and self-transcendence scales, and lower on cooperativeness.
Conclusion
Our findings showed that regular users of psychedelic drugs had less psychological stress and some personality differences when compared to occasional users and non-users. This suggests that either the use of psychedelics might be a protective factor itself or people with certain previous traits are more prone to frequently using psychedelic drugs. Future prospective longitudinal research should investigate the underlying processes observed in this study to develop consistent hypotheses.
Research Summary of 'Cross-sectional associations between lifetime use of psychedelic drugs and psychometric measures during the COVID-19 confinement: A transcultural study'
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic and the strict lockdowns implemented to limit viral spread created widespread social isolation and stress, which have been linked to increases in anxiety, depression and other forms of psychological distress in population surveys. Parallel to these public-health developments, earlier research and large population surveys have reported potential mental-health and social benefits associated with some psychedelic drugs (for example ayahuasca, psilocybin and LSD), including lower rates of psychological distress and improvements in wellbeing and prosocial behaviours. However, it is uncertain whether lifetime psychedelic drug use is associated with psychological responses to an acute, global stressor such as the first COVID-19 confinement period. Bouso and colleagues set out to examine cross-sectional associations between lifetime use of psychedelic drugs and multiple psychometric measures collected during the first strict lockdowns (April–July 2020). Specifically, the study aimed to compare regular users, occasional users and never-users of psychedelics on markers of psychological distress, peritraumatic stress, perceived social support, a range of psychopathology dimensions, and personality traits, using a multi-language, transcultural online survey approach.
Expert Research Summaries
Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.
Full Text PDF
Full Paper PDF
Create a free account to open full-text PDFs.
Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compounds
- Topics
- Authors
- APA Citation
Révész, D., Ona, G., Rossi, G. N., Rocha, J. M., dos Santos, R. G., Hallak, J. E. C., Alcázar-Córcoles, M. Á., & Bouso, J. C. (2021). Cross-sectional associations between lifetime use of psychedelic drugs and psychometric measures during the COVID-19 confinement: A transcultural study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.687546
References (24)
Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom
Andersen, K. A. A., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Nutt, D. J. et al. · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (2020)
Luoma, J. B., Chwyl, C., Bathje, G. J. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2020)
Ona, G., Bouso, J. C. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2020)
Jiménez-Garrido, D. F., Gómez-Sousa, M., Ona, G. et al. · Scientific Reports (2020)
Vollenweider, F. X., Preller, K. H. · Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2020)
Castellanos, J. P., Woolley, C., Bruno, K. A. et al. · Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (2020)
Ramaekers, J. G., Hutten, N. P. W., Mason, N. L. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020)
Ly, C., Greb, A. C., Cameron, L. P. et al. · Cell Reports (2018)
Johansen, P. Ø., Krebs, T. S. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Krebs, T. S., Johansen, P. ˚. Ø. · PLOS ONE (2013)
Show all 24 referencesShow fewer
Hendricks, P. S., Thorne, C. B., Clark, B. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Ona, G., Kohek, M., Massaguer, T. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2019)
Forstmann, M., Sagioglou, C. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)
Walsh, Z., Bird, B. M., Lafrance, A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2018)
Haijen, E. C. H. M., Kaelen, M., Roseman, L. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)
Gandy, S., Forstmann, M., Carhart-Harris, R. L. et al. · Health Psychology Open (2020)
Studerus, E., Kometer, M., Hasler, F. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2010)
Bouso, J. C., González, D., Fondevila, S. et al. · PLOS ONE (2012)
Rodríguez-Fornells, A., Ribeiro, S., Sanches, R. F. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2015)
Bouso, J. C., Ona, G., Dos Santos, R. G. et al. · Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology (2021)
Hendricks, P. S. · International Review of Psychiatry (2018)
Franquesa, A., Sainz-Cort, A., Gandy, S. et al. · Psychiatry Research (2018)
Halpern, J. H., Sherwood, A. R., Passie, T. et al. · Medical Science Monitor (2008)
Talin, P., Sanabria, E. · International Journal of Drug Policy (2017)
Cited By (5)
Papers in Blossom that reference this study
Godfrey, K., Weiss, B., Zhang, X. et al. · Neuroscience Applied (2025)
Weiss, B., Sleep, C., Beller, N. et al. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2023)
Bouso, J. C., Révész, D., Ona, G. et al. · Scientific Reports (2023)
Kohek, M., Ona, G., Dos Santos, R. G. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2022)
Matzopoulos, R., Morlock, A., Morlock, R. et al. · MedRvix (2021)
Your Personal Research Library
Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.