Protective Behavioral Strategies for Psychedelic Use: A Mini Review of the Evidence

Area of Science:

• Psychopharmacology
• Public Health
• Harm Reduction

Background:

• Significant past-year psychedelic use in the US, with many new users.
• Emerging evidence suggests potential benefits of psychedelic use.
• Need to understand risk mitigation in nonclinical psychedelic use through Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and synthesize existing research on Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) for nonclinical psychedelic use.
• To explore the range of PBS identified in the literature.
• To highlight the need for further research on PBS and their outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar for articles on PBS in nonclinical psychedelic contexts.
• Inclusion of studies on classical serotonergic psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin) and nonclassical psychedelics (MDMA, ketamine).

Main Results:

• Evidence suggests a culture of harm reduction within psychedelic communities.
• Identified PBS include strategies for drug acquisition, dosing, set and setting, nourishment, managing challenging experiences, and integration.
• Emerging evidence indicates a potential association between PBS use and decreased negative consequences.

Conclusions:

• There is a need for validated measures of psychedelic PBS and outcomes for research and interventions.
• Further research is critical to understand the association between PBS use and outcomes in nonclinical settings.
• Continued investigation is essential to support individuals using psychedelics outside of clinical contexts.