Examining the Relationship between Personality Traits, Attitudes towards Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, and Prior Psychedelic Use

Despite increased acceptance of mental health in the last decade, it remains underappreciated in the public eye. An estimated 23.1% of people in the USA are diagnosed with a mental health condition, yet only around half tend to seek treatment. Current treatment methods have limitations in their efficacy. They can fail to work for many people and/or come with long-term side effects. A recent emerging area of study is Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT), which has shown promising results in treating psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety as well as significant improvements in Big-Five Inventory II (BFI-II) personality traits such as openness and agreeableness. However, it is a controversial topic, and peoples’ opinions on it are divided. Research is limited on how peoples’ perceptions of PAT may be affected by personality and/or their previous psychedelic usage. The current study aims to determine if peoples’ BFI-II personality traits show significant correlations to their views towards PAT as well as prior psychedelic usage. A sample of 342 undergraduate students completed a survey which consisted of BFI-II questions as well as questions regarding one’s knowledge and opinions towards PAT and prior psychedelic usage. Data has been collected, and descriptive and inferential statistics involving ANOVAs, linear regressions, and correlations are soon to be conducted. The BFI-II trait of openness is expected to have significant positive correlations with greater acceptance of PAT and belief in its therapeutic uses. Results may aid in improving public education and awareness of PAT which could be useful for future researchers.