Nitrous oxide use and psychiatric disorders: a retrospective clinical cohort study on prevalence and patterns.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2025 Rebecca Paetow, Maike Franziska Dohrn, Michelle Finner-Prével et al.
Among 287 patients in a German psychiatric hospital, 22 (7.67%) reported having used nitrous oxide (N2O) recreationally at some point in their lives. Users tended to be younger (mean age 28 years) and most obtained the substance through friends or social events. The most common psychiatric diagnoses among users were major depressive disorder, cannabis-related disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The findings suggest that recreational N2O use is relatively common in psychiatric populations and that clinicians should routinely ask about it.