Adverse psychiatric effects of psychedelic drugs: a systematic review of case reports.
Psychological medicine November 20, 2024 B Yildirim, S S Sahin, A Gee et al. 19 citations
Psychedelic drugs are being studied for treating depression, but concerns about psychiatric side effects persist. A review of case reports found 17 cases of schizophrenia spectrum disorder and 17 of affective disorder (depression, mania, or both) after psychedelic use, excluding people with prior psychiatric illness or other drug use. These conditions could begin after a single use (5 of 17 schizophrenia cases; 6 of 17 affective disorder cases). Recovery was typical for affective disorder but not for schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Among 29 flashback cases, 12 had lasting psychiatric symptoms, mainly anxiety (5 cases) and depression (8 cases). Flashbacks resolved within a year in about half of cases but persisted for years in a few. Serious psychiatric disorders after psychedelic use are uncommon but documented.