Addictive behaviors
September 1, 2022
Kevin H Yang, Benjamin H Han, Joseph J Palamar
30 citations
LSD use was linked with a higher likelihood of major depressive episodes and suicidal thinking, while salvia divinorum use was associated with increased suicidal thinking and DMT/AMT/Foxy use with suicidal planning. In contrast, ecstasy (MDMA) use was linked with a lower likelihood of serious psychological distress, major depressive episodes, and suicidal thinking. These findings from a large US national survey indicate that different hallucinogens have distinct associations with depression and suicidality, highlighting the need for further research on risks and consequences of nonmedical hallucinogen use.
Journal of affective disorders
March 15, 2025
Kevin H Yang, Wayne Kepner, Charles M Cleland et al.
19 citations
Ketamine use among US adults increased significantly from 2015 to 2019 and again from 2021 to 2022. From 2015 to 2019, use rose among both adults with and without depression, but from 2021 to 2022, an increase occurred only among those without depression. Depression was linked to higher odds of ketamine use in 2015–2019 but not in later years. New correlates emerged in 2021–2022, including adults aged 26–34 and college graduates. Use of other drugs, especially ecstasy/MDMA and gamma-hydroxybutyrate, was consistently associated with higher odds of ketamine use. These shifts may reflect changes in the ketamine landscape or survey methodology.
JAMA health forum
June 7, 2024
Kevin H Yang, Nora Satybaldiyeva, Matthew R Allen et al.
16 citations
Public interest in psychedelic microdosing in the US surged 13.4-fold from 2015 to 2023, reaching 3.0 million Google searches in 2023. State-level cannabis and psychedelic legislative reforms were associated with increased search rates: local psychedelic decriminalization with an increase of 22.4 per 10 million searches, statewide psychedelic therapeutic legalization and decriminalization with 28.9 per 10 million, recreational cannabis laws with 40.9 per 10 million, and medical cannabis laws with 11.5 per 10 million. From August to December 2023, 27% of the variation in monthly search rates between states was explained by differences in cannabis and psychedelics legal status.
Journal of addiction medicine
Kevin H Yang, Wayne Kepner, Anamika Nijum et al.
11 citations
An estimated 0.9% of US individuals aged 12 or older used ecstasy/MDMA in the past year, based on a national survey from 2015 to 2020. Use was more common among younger people, with those aged 35–49 as the reference; those over 50 had very low odds of use. Bisexual women and people identifying as Asian, Black, or multiracial had higher odds of use compared with heterosexual men or White individuals. Past-year use of other drugs, prescription drug misuse, nicotine dependence, and alcohol use disorder were also associated with increased odds. The findings can help inform prevention and harm reduction strategies for high-risk subpopulations.