Psychedelic Use and Violence Among an Arrestee Population: A Propensity Score Analysis

• In Event: Drugs, Psychopathy, and Violent Crime

Abstract

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs for reducing externalizing and antisocial behaviors. Recent research among both general population and criminal justice involved individuals has documented that psychedelic use is associated with reduced likelihood of criminal involvement, intimate partner violence, and recidivism (Hendricks et al. 2014, 2018, Thiessen et al. 2018; Walsh et al. 2016). Theorized mechanisms include increased emotion regulation, empathy, and moral decision-making. This study continues this line of research by examining the association between psychedelic drug use and criminal involvement among a sample of arrestees surveyed by Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program. The study employs a propensity score analysis design to balance arrestees on both lifetime and recent exposure to psychedelics. We expect that exposure to psychedelics will be associated with a lower likelihood of involvement in violent crime and intimate partner violence. Although this study examines substance use in a naturalistic setting, it aims to contribute to the growing literature examining the potential role of psychedelics as a therapeutic agent for reducing externalizing behaviors in risky populations.

Author

• Eric L. Sevigny, Georgia State University