New/emerging psychoactive substances and associated psychopathological consequences
Psychological Medicine July 22, 2019 Fabrizio Schifano, Flavia Napoletano, Stefania Chiappini et al. 118 citations
A novel web-crawling tool called NPS.Finder® identified several thousand new psychoactive substances (NPS)—roughly four times more than European and international drug agencies report. Synthetic cannabinoids, new synthetic opioids, ketamine-like dissociatives, novel stimulants, novel psychedelics, and certain prescription and over-the-counter medicines were most commonly linked to psychopathological consequences. The rapid proliferation of recreational psychotropics poses a challenge for psychiatry because the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of many NPS remain poorly understood. Health and mental health professionals need up-to-date information on the range of NPS, their intake methods, sought-after effects, drug combinations, and associated medical and psychopathological risks.