Exploring the Impact of Recreational Drugs on Suicidal Behavior: A Narrative Review
Psychoactives – July 03, 2024
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psilocybin, a hallucinogen, may offer a surprising protective effect against suicidal behavior, a key finding for clinical psychology and psychiatry. While many recreational drugs, including cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin, and nicotine, are linked to increased suicide risk and substance abuse, psilocybin and ketamine show potential for reducing it. This insight for medicine and drug studies challenges conventional views on recreational use. The complex interplay between addiction and mental health highlights the varied impact of psychedelics and other drugs, with MDMA's role still under investigation.
Abstract
Substance use/abuse and suicide are two closely related phenomena, mostly due to neurobiological, psychological, and social impairments. In the present narrative review, the relationship between suicidal behavior (SB) and the use and abuse of common recreational drugs, such as alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, nicotine, ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD, has been explored. Furthermore, potential mechanisms linking the two have also been examined. According to current research, all substances appear to have a deleterious effect on SB except for ketamine and psilocybin, which could potentially confer a protective effect. Further studies are needed to understand the relationship between MDMA, LSD, and suicide.