Content area

Abstract

While most psychedelic drugs are classified as Schedule I controlled substances, the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has increased substantially over the past 20 years. This study examined how certain personality traits and demographic factors influence attitudes towards the use of PAT. Two NEO traits, Openness to Experience and Neuroticism, and the trait Sensation-Seeking, along with the demographic variables of age, gender, education, spirituality, and experience with psychedelic drugs, were investigated in relation to attitudes towards PAT. A total of 379 adults (M = 27.7 years, range = 18-67) completed an anonymous online survey including a demographic questionnaire and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (Gosling et al., 2003), the Brief Sensation-Seeking Scale-4 (Stephenson et al., 2003), and the Attitudes on Psychedelics Questionnaire (Žuljević et al., 2022). Results revealed significant positive correlations between PAT attitudes and Openness (r =.28, p <.001) and Sensation-Seeking (r = .39, p <.001), while Neuroticism and education were not significant predictors. Age showed a small negative correlation (r = -.20, p <.001), indicating that younger individuals were more receptive. Post hoc analyses further indicated that women, religious participants, and those with prior psychedelic use reported more significantly favorable attitudes. These findings suggest that specific personality traits and sociodemographic factors shape receptivity to psychedelic medicine. Understanding these influences can inform strategies to reduce the stigma of PAT, tailor psychoeducation, and enhance patient engagement with emerging psychedelic therapies.

Details

1010268
Title
The Effect of Personality Traits on Attitudes Toward Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Number of pages
69
Publication year
2025
Degree date
2025
School code
1358
Source
MAI 87/3(E), Masters Abstracts International
ISBN
9798293893713
Committee member
Muscarella, Frank; Lauro, Justin; Callaghan, Karen A.
University/institution
Barry University
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
University location
United States -- Florida
Degree
M.S.
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language
English
Document type
Dissertation/Thesis
Dissertation/thesis number
32244803
ProQuest document ID
3256177592
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/effect-personality-traits-on-attitudes-toward/docview/3256177592/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.
Database
ProQuest One Academic