(PS3-C51) Experiences of Psychedelic Use Among Individuals with Psychotic Symptoms

Background: Personal or family history of psychotic symptoms serves as exclusionary criteria for most psychedelic clinical trials and treatment programs, despite there being no modern clinical studies looking at the effects of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy on individuals with psychotic symptoms. As psychedelic therapy becomes available for a variety of conditions, it is important to also explore the possibility of its effectiveness for treating psychotic symptoms. Gathering epidemiological data detailing the patterns of naturalistic use within this population may shed light on which compounds (e.g., psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, etc.), dosage, specific symptom endorsement and other factors contribute to how psychedelics are experienced for people with a personal or familial history of psychotic symptoms and whether clinical trials should be implemented and if so how.

Method: This study will be the first to employ a cross-sectional design to gather epidemiological data about psychedelic use among individuals with a personal or familial history of psychotic symptoms. It will utilize a participatory mixed methodology and collect both quantitative and qualitative data including psychotic symptom questionnaires, and psychedelic-specific questionnaires. The survey will also ask if individuals may be interested in a follow-up qualitative interview. If interest is expressed, they may be selected to participate in a semi-structured interview to gather data about their experiences with psychedelics using an Interpersonal Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach.

Results: Findings may lead to a better understanding of naturalistic psychedelic use among individuals with psychotic symptoms and provide insight into the nature of psychedelics on the mind. They may also shed light on possible protocols.