Factors associated with psychedelic attitudes and usage among college students

Attitudes toward psychedelics strongly predict actual use among college students, explaining 85.6% of the variance in lifetime use. Male, sexual-minority, older, and non-religious students, as well as those who had used other substances, held more positive attitudes, which in turn made them more likely to have used psychedelics. Lifetime psychedelic use was directly associated with better mental health. A new 12-item Psychedelic Attitudes Scale (PAS) was validated in a sample of 466 liberal arts college students and showed good psychometric properties.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Psychedelic use among college students and young adults has been increasing, but there continues to be a shortage of research on usage among college students. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for psychedelics use and understand how they interact with attitudes towards psychedelic usage.Data were collected on 466 liberal arts college students. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we validated a new and brief instrument that assessed attitudes toward psychedelics called the Psychedelic Attitudes Scale (PAS).The PAS evidenced good psychometric properties and structural equation modeling was used to investigate factors associated with use. Demographic variables, lifetime substance use, and mental health status were used as predictors, and PAS was used as a mediator, explaining 85.6% of the variance in lifetime use. Males, sexual minorities, older students, those who were not religious, and those who used other substances evidenced more positive attitudes toward psychedelics, which in turn led to a higher likelihood of actual usage. Lifetime usage was also found to be directly associated with better mental health.College is a time when many students experiment with psychedelics. Understanding risk and protective factors are important for identifying those at great risk and provides critical information for designing harm reduction programs. Moreover, the PAS fills a gap in the literature and provides a brief assessment tool that can be readily implemented with the general population and in future research studies to better understand how attitudes influence actual behaviors.