A recent study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry The study sheds new light on the impact of psychedelic retreats on older adults. The research shows that older adults, while experiencing less intense immediate effects of psychedelics compared to younger participants, reported similar improvements in their well-being after participating in these retreats.
Serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, LSD, and DMT, have shown promise in treating affective symptoms of various disorders. These substances induce an altered state of consciousness, including heightened emotions and perceptions, which have been associated with therapeutic outcomes. However, older adults have been largely excluded from psychedelic research, and the safety and efficacy of these treatments for this age group remain uncertain.
“Psychedelics are experiencing a resurgence of interest, primarily due to their rapid and long-lasting positive effects on well-being in diverse clinical populations,” said co-author Lorenzo Pasquini, assistant professor of neurology at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.
“To date, little research has been conducted in older adults. Targeting this question is crucial because affective changes in older adults are widespread, difficult to treat with conventional antidepressant medications, and often precede the onset of more serious neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.”
“What makes psychedelics such an intriguing and challenging research topic is the combined intensity and kaleidoscopic variety of their subjective effects—Humphrey Osmond’s eponymous quote from the 1950s comes to mind: ‘To fathom hell or fly to the angels, take only a pinch of psychedelic,’” added co-author Hannes Kettner, a PhD candidate at Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research and a visiting researcher in UCSF’s Carhart-Harris Lab.
“To make these substances safer and more broadly useful, I think we need more studies to try to understand how different types of people respond differently to these substances, and as Lorenzo mentioned, older adults are a population that has an unmet need for better neuropsychiatric treatment options, yet are not typically included in studies of psychedelics.”
The study used a prospective cohort approach, targeting people planning to attend psychedelic retreats or guided group psychedelic sessions. Participants were recruited through social media, newsletters, forums, and retreat facilitators. They completed questionnaires at four time points: before the session, immediately after, one day after leaving the retreat, and two weeks, four weeks, and six months after the experience.
Eligibility criteria included being 18 years of age or older, understanding English, and planning to attend a psychedelic ceremony involving substances such as psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or mescaline. Of the 882 participants enrolled, 62 older adults (60 years and older) and a matched group of 62 younger adults (under 60 years) were selected for comparison.
Baseline predictors such as age, gender, education, prior psychedelic use, and psychiatric history were assessed. The primary outcome measure was the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Acute psychedelic effects were measured using several scales, including the Ego Dissolution Inventory (EDI), Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Communitas Scale (COMS), among others.
The researchers found that older adults experienced significant improvements in their mental well-being after participating in psychedelic retreats, comparable to those seen in younger adults. These retreats typically involved the use of substances such as psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms), LSD, ayahuasca, and mescaline.
“We found that adults aged 60 and older who use psychedelics like psilocybin truffles or ayahuasca in group ceremonies experience improvements in psychological well-being similar to younger adults,” Pasquini told PsyPost.
One of the most surprising findings is that the improved well-being in older adults is not directly related to the acute effects of the psychedelics themselves. Unlike younger adults, for whom the intensity of the psychedelic experience—characterized by altered states of consciousness, vivid imagery, and mystical experiences—plays a key role in their mental health benefits, older adults show a different pattern.
“Older adults had significantly less intense acute psychedelic effects – subjective experiences such as ego dissolution or emotional breakthroughs were up to 50% lower in those aged 60 and older, but this apparently did not affect the observed improvements in well-being,” Kettner explained.
In contrast, the feeling of “communitas,” or togetherness and shared joy, during group activities has been shown to be a significant predictor of improved well-being among older adults. This concept of communitas involves deep emotional connections and collective experiences that foster a sense of belonging and mutual support.
Older adults indicated that these group interactions and the emotional intimacy developed during the retreats were essential to their positive outcomes. This finding suggests that the social and relational aspects of the retreat experience may be particularly beneficial for older adults, who often face social isolation and loneliness.
“We were very surprised to find that subjective psychedelic effects did not seem to predict changes in well-being in older adults in the same way we have been used to seeing in psychedelic research,” Pasquini said. “Typically, the quality of the acute psychedelic state is associated with changes in psychological outcomes. In adults aged 60 and older, this did not hold true. Instead, a sense of connectedness to others emerged as the only significant predictor of change, highlighting the critical role that social connections play in older adults.”
Interestingly, the study also found that improvements in well-being among older adults were more pronounced among those with a history of psychiatric diagnosis. This group showed even greater increases in well-being scores compared to those without such a history. This indicates that older adults with pre-existing mental health conditions may derive substantial therapeutic benefits from participating in these psychedelic retreats, potentially filling gaps in the effectiveness of conventional treatments.
However, as with any research, there are some caveats to consider. The context of psychedelic use was limited to retreat and ceremony settings, which may not be generalizable to other settings or individual use. The sample was also skewed toward highly educated, white participants.
“This was an observational study and therefore did not include control groups or experimental oversight of clinical trials,” Pasquini noted. “We also found that a significant number of people dropped out of the study, which could bias the results.”
“Also, by recruiting only people who are already considering attending a psychedelic retreat, we obviously don’t have a very representative sample of the general population,” Kettner added. “So it’s hard to say whether the results extend to older adults who aren’t initially very interested in psychedelics.”
These findings highlight the need for further research into the specific effects of psychedelics on older adults. Future studies should explore the impact of psychedelics in a variety of settings, including more controlled environments and with more diverse populations. It will also be important to study the long-term stability of improvements in well-being and the specific psychosocial mechanisms at play.
“My long-term goal is to implement psychedelic-based interventions in older adults,” Pasquini explained. “Following these initial observational results, randomized placebo-controlled trials are needed to understand whether psychedelics may have beneficial effects on well-being or even disease-modifying properties in healthy, clinical populations of older adults.”
“As more people gain access to psychedelics, it will be crucial to understand their risks, benefits, and underlying mechanisms in a variety of different populations and settings,” Kettner said. “Where clinical trials are needed for medicalization, more studies like these, which sample psychedelic use in real-world, uncontrolled settings, will be needed if we are to provide education and minimize harm for the growing number of people who use psychedelics outside of clinical trials each year.”
“If you are considering participating in a psychedelic retreat yourself, please consider contributing to our research: https://ceremonystudy.com/. My colleagues at ICL are running other fantastic studies that you can participate in, including an online survey on microdosing and a survey on psychedelics for couples: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/psychedelic-research-centre/participate-in-a-trial/.”
The study, “Effects of Psychedelics in Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study,” was authored by Hannes Kettner, Leor Roseman, Adam Gazzaley, Robin L. Carhart-Harris, and Lorenzo Pasquini.