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Psychedelics such as DMT, LSD and psilocybin have demonstrated promise in the treatment of affective symptoms of a range of disorders. These drugs work by inducing an altered state of consciousness, which includes intensified perceptions and emotions, which have been associated with therapeutic outcomes. However, older individuals haven’t been included in most psychedelic studies, which leaves the effectiveness and safety of these therapies for this age group in limbo.
Now, new research has offered new insights into the impact that psychedelics administered during retreats have on older adults. The research demonstrated that older adults recorded improvements in well-being after attending psychedelic retreats, similar to younger participants.
The study’s coauthors included an assistant professor of neurology, Lorenzo Pasquini, and Hannes Kettner, a PhD candidate at the Center for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London.
For their research, the investigators used a technique that targeted people who planned to attend guided psychedelic sessions or psychedelic retreats. The participants were recruited via newsletters, social media, retreat facilitators and forums. Participants were required to be 18 years of age older, understand English and be planning to attend a psychedelic retreat that involved the use of substances such as ayahuasca, LSD, psilocybin or mescaline.
The investigators required all participants to complete a number of surveys on four separate occasions, including before and immediately after the session. They then evaluated baseline predictors such as gender, age, previous psychedelic use, psychiatric history and education. They also measured acute effects of psychedelics using scales such as the Communitas Scale, the Mystical Experience Questionnaire and the Ego-Dissolution Inventory, among others.
The investigators discovered that older individuals saw considerable improvements in their mental well-being after taking part in psychedelic sessions that administered substances such as LSD, psilocybin, mescaline and ayahuasca. They also observed that older individuals presented with less intense severe psychedelic effects.
In addition, the investigators observed that shared joy and a sense of togetherness during group activities was a huge predictor of improvements in the well-being of older individuals.
In their report, the researchers noted that they also observed that these improvements in participants’ well-being was even more pronounced in individuals with a history of psychiatric diagnoses.
The research had some limitations, including the fact that the sample used didn’t represent the total population. It also lacked control groups, with the researchers noting that future research needed to focus on exploring psychedelics’ impact with more diverse population and controlled environments.
Other researchers involved in the study included Adam Gazzaley, Leor Roseman and Robin L. Carhart-Harris. The researchers reported their findings in the “American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.”
More work is being done by numerous entities such as atai Life Sciences N.V. (NASDAQ: ATAI) to understand and leverage psychedelics for therapeutic and wellness purposes. These studies will shed more light on how different groups of people, including seniors, can best benefit from these substances.
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