Unequal Healing: Gender, Psychedelics, and the Burden of Care

Although psychedelic therapies are increasingly heralded for their mental health benefits, emerging evidence suggests that these benefits are not equally distributed. In particular, prior research has shown that women experience diminished therapeutic returns compared to men. To better understand the structural and social factors that may underlie this disparity, this study examines whether unequal household labor and caregiving responsibilities—especially among single mothers—help explain gender differences in psychedelic outcomes. Using data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (2008–2018; N = 484,732), this study tests interactions between six forms of psychedelic use, gender, and parental status in predicting psychological distress. Results indicate that while psychedelic use is associated with reduced distress among parents, this effect is primarily observed in men. Women, particularly those who are single parents, experience little to no reduction in distress and, in some cases, experience greater distress. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating unequal caregiving burdens and broader social context into psychedelic research and practice. Without addressing the everyday responsibilities disproportionately carried by women, especially mothers, psychedelic therapies may reproduce rather than relieve existing mental health disparities.