Contextualizing Violence Risk Associated With Hallucinogens
FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry January 1, 2026 Tyler Durns, Greg Iannuzzi
Psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA have regained attention for their potential psychiatric benefits, but their effects on aggression and violence are not well understood. This review examines the historical, medical, legal, and cultural contexts of these compounds, along with how substance type, dose, set and setting, psychiatric comorbidity, and environmental factors influence violence risk. It discusses prevention and response strategies such as harm reduction, risk assessment, and treatment. The article concludes that individual risk factors mediating violence for users of these substances require further research.