This paper (2021) explores why psychedelic-assisted therapy and psychedelic medicines are specifically needed in the Black community. The authors argue that the trauma inflicted on Black, Indigenous and other People of Colour (BIPOC) by everyday, white imposed, negative race-based experiences could be healed using psychedelics. The authors argue that psychedelic research and organizations must recruit BIPOC populations.

Abstract

“Psychedelic medicine is an emerging field of research, clinical and spiritual practice that examines substances classified as entheogens, hallucinogens on the human mind, body, and spirit. 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a particular substance currently in phase-3 FDA clinical trials in the United States (US) and Canada to treat the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by reducing fear-driven stimuli that contribute to trauma and anxiety symptoms. In 2017, the FDA designated MDMA as a “breakthrough therapy,” signaling that it has advantages in safety, efficacy, and compliance over available medication for the treatment of PTSD-related stress and anxiety symptoms. In the US and Canada, historical and contemporary racial experiences are frequently experienced by Black people as persistent macro-and micro insults that trigger fear response and contribute to chronically elevated cortisol levels, similar to levels seen among those diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. This paper will explore why psychedelic assisted-therapy and psychedelic medicines are specifically needed in the Black community to address the pain of every-day, white-imposed, negative, race-based experiences and promote healing and thriving among Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC). The author(s) discuss why psychedelic assisted psychotherapy outside of a culturally-competent provider framework is unethical, while also emphasizing the importance of psychedelic research organizations to recruit and retain BIPOC populations in research and clinical training.”

Authors: Darron Smith, Sonya Faber, Nicole T. Buchanan, Dale Foster & Lilith Green

Summary of The Need for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Black Community and the Burdens of its Provision

Introduction to Psychedelic Therapies

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be debilitating for many people, and the current methods of treating it require patients to retell and thereby relive their traumatic experiences. However, there is a therapy that allows patients to experience past traumatic events while attenuating the anxious activation often associated with discussion of past traumas.

Psychedelics, also referred to as entheogens, have been used for thousands of years in religious ceremonies, rituals, and healing, but have only recently been rehabilitated and put to test in clinical studies to provide evidence for psychological distress.

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Find this paper

The Need for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Black Community and the Burdens of its Provision

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.774736

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Study details

Topics studied
Equity and Ethics

Study characteristics
Commentary

Participants
0 Humans