Personality changes following first-time psychedelic use in college students in Germany
Constantin Volkmann, Michael Seitz, Ricarda Evens, Moritz Bruno Petzold, Michael Koslowski, Felix Betzler
npj Mental Health Research July 10, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1038/s44184-026-00228-z via Springer Nature
Summary
First-time users of psychedelics exhibited small increases in Openness and decreases in Conscientiousness over one year compared to never-users. Specifically, adjustments showed a beta of 0.19 for Openness and -0.20 for Conscientiousness, indicating these changes may not be significantly different from those seen with other illicit substances. Additionally, users with psychiatric diagnoses experienced greater reductions in Neuroticism. Overall, the findings suggest minor personality changes following first-time psychedelic use.
Study at a glance
| Design | longitudinal study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,168 |
| Population | Berlin university students, including 102 first-time psychedelic users and 1066 never-users |
| Key finding | First-time psychedelic use is associated with small increases in Openness and decreases in Conscientiousness. |
Abstract
Psychedelics may influence personality traits, but longitudinal evidence on first-time use outside clinical settings remains limited. We followed 102 first-time psychedelic users and 1066 never-users over one year among Berlin university students. Personality was assessed with the Big Five Inventory at baseline and follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models showed small relative increases in Openness and decreases in Conscientiousness among first-time users. After adjustment for age, sex, income, psychiatric diagnosis, and baseline substance-use burden, estimates were attenuated but directionally similar (Openness: beta = 0.19, SE = 0.10, p = 0.06; Conscientiousness: beta = –0.20, SE = 0.10, p = 0.05; FDR-adjusted p = 0.16 for both). Change was not clearly different from first-time users of other illicit substances. In exploratory moderation analyses, first-time users with psychiatric diagnoses showed larger Neuroticism reductions. Findings suggest small personality changes after first-time psychedelic use, with limited causal interpretability.