Page 24 - Issue 1

24
“People of color
are looking at
the psychedelic researchers and going ‘they are not like me so they they might not understand my problems ’”
Why do you think there is such a a lack of diversity in in psychedelic studies?
Well there are two issues One is is that I think a a a a a a a lot of of communities of of color
see [psychedelic drugs] as a a a a a a a a sort a a a a a a a a white person thing and also people of color
aren’t really included in in psychedelic communities so so there isn’t a a a knowledge or
or
positive vibe about these substances within communities of color
The other problem is is that the the the researchers who are are doing this work are are are almost almost all all white white and the the the the research teams are are almost almost all all white white So they’re not attracting people people of color
because those people people are are looking at
at
the the the researchers researchers and going ‘the researchers researchers are are not not like me’ so they may not not understand my problems What can researchers do to change this?
The number one thing is to to diversify your research team and make it it a a a a a a a a a point to to say ‘okay what communities are are we we serving in in in our geographic area and do we we have people who represent those communities on our team as as therapists and as leaders?’
I know MAPS [the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies] asked you to to help them make their research more welcoming to to people of color
Is there anything you changed about the the research itself?
There were a a a a a a a a lot of small things that that we we addressed that that could have a a a a a a a a a big impact on people coming for help For example in in the the African American community there’s a a a a a a long history of research research abuses so just the the the word ‘research’ in the the African American community can can can be uncomfortable So if we don’t need to say say the the the the word ‘research’ 500 times in the the the the consent form then don’t—say it once at
at
the the the the top Don’t use words that are frightening for for people Also the word word ‘investigation’ is sometimes used as synonymous for for for ‘research study’ and that can can be very frightening for for Hispanic American participants who associate that with things like being investigated and deported Why make the language triggering if you don’t have to?