Psymed 2022 0017
Psymed 2022 0017
Psymed 2022 0017
RESEARCH REPORT
Abstract
Introduction: A resurgence of interest in the use of psychedelics for mental health and wellness has stim-
ulated greater experimentation with psychedelics in society. Although clinical psychedelic trials protect
research participants by offering a safe setting, thorough preparation, and containment during and after
ingestion of psychedelic medicines, many try these substances without the benefit of these safeguards.
Materials and Methods: We analyzed data gathered from 884 callers to a psychedelic helpline to determine
whether a helpline model could reduce the risks associated with nonclinical psychedelics use.
Results: In total, 65.9% of callers indicated that the helpline de-escalated them from psychological distress.
If not for their conversation with the helpline, 29.3% of callers indicated they may have been harmed; 12.5%
indicated that they may have called 911; and 10.8% indicated they may have gone to the emergency room.
Conclusion: The data suggest that access to a psychedelic helpline surrounding psychedelic experiences
may avert harmful outcomes and offset the burden on emergency and medical services.
Keywords: psychedelics, emergency services, harm reduction, peer support, helpline, hotline
1
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
2
Social Neuroscience and Psychotherapy Lab, Department of Mental Health, Portland VA Research Foundation, Portland, Oregon, USA.
3
Fireside Project, San Francisco, California, USA.
4
James J. Peters Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Center for Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy and Trauma Research, Psychiatry Department, Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
*Address correspondence to: Mollie M. Pleet, PsyD, Social Neuroscience and Psychotherapy Lab, Department of Mental Health, Portland VA Research Foundation, 1601 E
4th Plain Blvd, B21, Vancouver, WA 97215, USA, E-mail: dr.molliepleet@gmail.com
ª Mollie M. Pleet et al. 2023; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. This Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License [CC-BY] (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Fig. 1. De-escalating
callers in emotional, mental,
or physical distress (N = 848).
indicated that they may have been physically or emotion- a ceremonial purpose),’’ ‘‘With a large group of known
ally harmed, 16 callers (6.1%) indicated they may have and/or unknown people,’’ and ‘‘Other,’’ with the option
called 9-1-1, and 14 callers (5.4%) indicated they to enter a response. Of the 1630 call logs for callers
would have gone to the emergency room. To our knowl- who were in the midst of a psychedelic experience,
edge, these are the first data suggesting that a lack of sup- 650 callers (39.9%) reported taking the psychedelics on
port during the process of psychedelic integration may their own, without other people present. Of those 650 cal-
lead to harm. lers, 501 callers (77.0%) were at home and 28 callers
(4.3%) were outdoors in nature.
Call-log results
Emotional content of callers’ psychedelic experiences. Consuming psychedelics with underlying psychiatric
The call-log section entitled ‘‘Trip Content’’ included conditions. Our data suggest that people may be con-
the following distress-specific response options: ‘‘Fear,’’ suming psychedelics in nonclinical contexts to address
‘‘Anxiety,’’ ‘‘Confusion,’’ and ‘‘Overwhelm.’’ Figure 2 symptoms related to underlying psychiatric disorders.
illustrates that the 3386 callers who contacted the help- Of the 3386 callers who contacted Fireside to discuss
line to discuss current or past psychedelic experiences current or past psychedelic experiences, 909 (27.4%)
reported experiencing a range of difficult emotions. mentioned an underlying psychiatric condition. The fre-
quency of each condition is illustrated in Figure 3.
Taking psychedelics alone. The call-log section enti-
tled ‘‘Social Context’’ provides the following response Discussion
options: ‘‘Alone,’’ ‘‘With one or a few close others,’’ Our study implies that people who use psychedelics in
‘‘With a group of intentionally gathered people (i.e., for nonclinical settings often do so without necessary safety
Fig. 2. Emotional
content of conversations
during and after
psychedelic experiences
(N = 3386).
72 PLEET ET AL.
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