· Research will explore whether phone and SMS-based peer support services can reduce ER visits, physical and psychological harm, and other risks related to psychedelic use
Today, the non-profit Fireside Project announced its collaboration with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) on a study of the effectiveness of its Psychedelic Peer Support Line for assisting people with their challenging psychedelic experiences. This will be the first study to analyze the potential public health impact of a psychedelic peer support line.
"With access to psychedelics expanding rapidly in therapeutic settings, and decriminalization measures advancing in California and around the country, having available and effective harm reduction services in the psychedelic space is more important than ever,” says study Principal Investigator Dr. Joseph Zamaria of UCSF. “We need to look at who is using this service and how it is helping them."
The study will examine the efficacy of the support line in reducing risks associated with psychedelic drug use, including but not limited to the use of emergency services, physical harm, and psychological trauma or distress. The research will also examine how the support line’s effectiveness may vary by ethnicity, gender, and other demographic measures.
According to Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Mollie Pleet of UCSF: "This research may prove to be an important step towards breaking down stigmas that have long denied less-advantaged people and communities access to the support they need."
Anonymous data will be collected using web-based online surveys distributed to users of the Psychedelic Peer Support Line 24 hours after their phone or text interaction with Fireside Project. Fireside Project’s newly released app (now available on iPhone and Android) also includes a way for users to access the online survey.
Dr. Rachel Yehuda, Director of the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, will serve as an advisor for the study. "This work is absolutely critical to the psychedelic renaissance,” says Dr. Yehuda. “We have to understand who might require harm reduction and how to facilitate their needs.”
The study was approved by the UCSF Committee on Human Research on July 22, 2021. Data collection began on April 14, 2021, when the support line launched. Once the study has concluded, data will be analyzed and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Since the Psychedelic Peer Support Line launched on April 14, 2021, Fireside Project has had more than 700 conversations by phone and text message. In a preliminary analysis, Fireside Project found that the support line helped to prevent emergency room visits and 911 calls, and de-escalate people who were experiencing psychological distress. Nine out of 10 of Fireside Project clients indicated that they felt heard, supported, and understood during their conversations and would recommend Fireside Project to others.
Starting on October 4, the Psychedelic Peer Support Line will expand from five to seven days a week, adding 32 hours of service. With the expansion, the support line will be open 7 days per week, 12 hours per day, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
About Fireside Project
Fireside Project is a non-profit organization that operates the Psychedelic Peer Support Line, providing free, confidential support by phone and text message to people who are in the midst of psychedelic experiences. In addition, Fireside Project offers free emotional support to people who are processing past psychedelic experiences, whether those experiences occurred yesterday or 25 years ago. The Fireside Project has received national media attention in such publications as Rolling Stone, Forbes, Esquire, Mashable, and more. Fireside Project can be reached by phone and text at 6-2FIRESIDE (623-473-7433) and through its app, which is now available on iPhone and Android.
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