What do College Students Think of Psychedelics? Examining Attitudes, Usage and Association With Death Anxiety.
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Authors
Wallace, Brianna
Cooney, Sophia
Ludden, Andrew
Issue Date
2024-04-04
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Abstract
Research on psychedelics has significantly increased in recent years. Such research appears promising, with findings suggesting that psychedelics can have “positive effects on existential and spiritual well-being, quality of life, acceptance, and reduction of anxiety and depression” with little side effects in patients with a terminal illness (Schimmers et al., 2021, p. 15). However, less is known about potential positive outcomes related to psychedelic use for those in non-clinical settings, such as college students, at this time.
In one study specific to college students, researchers found that around half of the sample indicated they were knowledgeable about hallucinogenic drugs, and around a quarter of the sample reported some form of hallucinogenic drug use (Wildberger et al., 2017).
Additionally, a majority of the sample believed that hallucinogenic drugs were addictive, and those with personal experience using hallucinogenic drugs were much more likely to believe that hallucinogens could be used to treat anxiety than non-users (78% and 50%, respectively). Research suggests that some college students have used psychedelics, though it is not clear if this population might also experience positive existential outcomes related to psychedelic use found in other samples with terminal illnesses (e.g., Schimmers et al., 2021). As a result, this study examined perceptions towards and experiences with psychedelics in a sample of U.S. college students. Guided by Terror Management Theory (Greenberg et al., 1986), we also compared death anxiety and death acceptance between those with and without experience using psychedelic substances. In our sample of 402 participants, approximately 28% reported having used a psychedelic substance. As expected, we found that individuals who had ever used a psychedelic substance had more positive attitudes towards psychedelics, lower levels of death anxiety (p < .001), and higher levels of
death acceptance (p < .001). In addition to these results, we will also discuss implications for research and practice.