Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population.
Peter S Hendricks, Christopher B Thorne, C Brendan Clark, David W Coombs, Matthew W Johnson
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) March 1, 2015 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1177/0269881114565653 via PubMed
Summary
Lifetime use of classic psychedelics is linked to lower odds of psychological distress and suicidality among over 190,000 adults in the USA. Specifically, there were significantly reduced odds of past month psychological distress (OR=0.81), past year suicidal thoughts (OR=0.86), planning (OR=0.71), and attempts (OR=0.64). In contrast, illicit use of other drugs was generally associated with higher risks for these outcomes. These results suggest classic psychedelics may be beneficial in suicide prevention.
Study at a glance
| Design | observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 190,000 |
| Population | USA adult respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health |
| Key finding | Lifetime classic psychedelic use is associated with significantly reduced odds of psychological distress and suicidality. |
Abstract
Mental health problems are endemic across the globe, and suicide, a strong corollary of poor mental health, is a leading cause of death. Classic psychedelic use may occasion lasting improvements in mental health, but the effects of classic psychedelic use on suicidality are unknown. We evaluated the relationships of classic psychedelic use with psychological distress and suicidality among over 190,000 USA adult respondents pooled from the last five available years of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2012) while controlling for a range of covariates. Lifetime classic psychedelic use was associated with a significantly reduced odds of past month psychological distress (weighted odds ratio (OR)=0.81 (0.72-0.91)), past year suicidal thinking (weighted OR=0.86 (0.78-0.94)), past year suicidal planning (weighted OR=0.71 (0.54-0.94)), and past year suicide attempt (weighted OR=0.64 (0.46-0.89)), whereas lifetime illicit use of other drugs was largely associated with an increased likelihood of these outcomes. These findings indicate that classic psychedelics may hold promise in the prevention of suicide, supporting the view that classic psychedelics' most highly restricted legal status should be reconsidered to facilitate scientific study, and suggesting that more extensive clinical research with classic psychedelics is warranted.