Cornutopia: A short story and what it can tell us about ethnic minority views on psychedelic research, and the potential impact on clinical outcomes

A fictional story, Cornutopia, by British-Nigerian author Irenosen Okojie, offers a critical outsider's perspective on the enthusiasm surrounding psychedelic research. The protagonist, a young Black woman, participates in a psychedelic clinical trial and has a negative experience, leaving her in worse condition than before. The narrative highlights issues of bias, patient vulnerability, and mistrust of healthcare professionals, which is significant given calls for greater diversity in trials and the potential role of race in set and setting. Based on themes in the story, recommendations are made to improve researchers' awareness of barriers to inclusion for ethnic minorities and to address possible racial differences in therapy outcomes.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract The fictional story, Cornutopia , by British-Nigerian author Irenosen Okojie, offers a critical outsider's perspective on the enthusiasm surrounding psychedelic research, notably from outside the small world of psychedelic research. The protagonist, Amel Dyani, a young Black woman, participates in a psychedelic clinical trial but has a negative experience. This article aims to analyse the narrative to see what the sector can learn about minority views on psychedelic research, and what we can do to improve. Amel's fictional experience touches on a number of issues within psychedelic clinical trials, such as bias and the vulnerability of patients under the influence of psychedelics. The protagonist comes away from the experience in a seemingly worse condition than when she started, which deviates from the often overwhelmingly positive coverage of the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy. A theme of mistrust of healthcare professionals permeates the prose. This is significant in light of calls for greater diversity in psychedelic clinical trials, and the hypothesised role that race may have on the set and setting of a psychedelic experience. We must consider whether this means there is potential for there to be differences in clinical outcomes between racial groups for psychedelic-assisted therapy. On the basis of themes raised in the story recommendations are made to inform future practice, such as improving researchers' awareness of barriers to inclusion for those from ethnic minority backgrounds as well as targeted attention towards the possibility of racial differences in therapy outcomes.