Association of Psilocybin Use in Adolescents with Major Depressive Episode
European Psychiatry June 1, 2022 Kaushal Shah, C. Trivedi, D. Kamrai et al. 6 citations
Among 172,745 U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 surveyed from 2008-2018, 2,469 reported ever using psilocybin (magic mushrooms). Users were more likely to be 17 years old, male, and non-Hispanic White. 31% of psilocybin users had a lifetime major depressive episode (MDE), compared to 16% of non-users. The odds of MDE were 2.17 times higher among psilocybin users (95% confidence interval: 1.93-2.44). The authors conclude there is a significant association between psilocybin use and MDE in adolescents, raising public health concerns about illegal use, abuse, and toxicity.