Precipitous Increases in Psilocybin Exposure in Youths

Psilocybin exposures reported to U.S. poison centers more than tripled among adolescents and more than doubled among young adults from 2018 to 2022, after years of stable numbers. Of 4,055 total exposures, 58.5% occurred in adolescents (13–19 years), mostly males. Exposures were intentional in about 80% of cases. Common effects included hallucinations or delusions (36.6%), agitation (27.6%), and tachycardia (20.2%). Most cases led to health care visits, and two adolescent deaths occurred from multi-substance exposures involving fentanyl or hallucinogenic amphetamine. The authors conclude that adolescent psilocybin exposure increased significantly from 2018 to 2022.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Research Article| August 01 2024 Precipitous Increases in Psilocybin Exposure in Youths AAP Grand Rounds (2024) 52 (2): 19. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.52-2-19 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Precipitous Increases in Psilocybin Exposure in Youths. AAP Grand Rounds August 2024; 52 (2): 19. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.52-2-19 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All PublicationsAll JournalsAAP Grand RoundsPediatricsHospital PediatricsPediatrics In ReviewNeoReviewsAAP NewsAll AAP Sites Search Advanced Search Topics: adolescent, psilocybine Source: Farah R, Kerns AF, Murray AC, et al. Psilocybin exposures reported to U.S. poison centers: national trends over a decade. J Adolesc Health. 2024;74(5):1053-1056; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.01.027.Google Scholar Investigators from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, conducted a retrospective study to describe trends in psilocybin exposure in adolescents (13–19 years old) and young adults (20–25 years old) during the period 2013–2022. Psilocybin is a psychoactive alkaloid contained in hallucinogenic mushrooms. For the study, they reviewed data in the National Poison Data System (NPDS), which includes reports from poison control centers in the US. Psilocybin exposures were identified by a specific code number and reported as all exposures or single-substance. Data abstracted on identified cases included age, sex, reason for exposure (eg, intentional), clinical effects, level of health care received, and severity. Severity was categorized as none, minor effect, moderate effect (prolonged symptoms that usually required treatment), major effect, or death. Poisson regression was used to assess trends in reported exposure during the study period. Analyses were stratified by sex, age group, and single- vs multiple-substance exposure. A total of 4,055 psilocybin exposures were reported to NPDS during the study period, including 2,667 (65.8%) single-substance exposures. Among all psilocybin exposures, 2,372 (58.5%) occurred in adolescents, and 74.8% of the adolescents were males. The most frequently co-occurring exposures were marijuana and alcohol. Exposures were intentional in 81.1% of cases involving adolescents and 78.3% in young adults. The most commonly reported clinical effects in single-substance psilocybin exposures were hallucinations/delusions (36.6%), agitation (27.6%), tachycardia (20.2%), and confusion (16.0%); seizures were reported in 49 (1.8%) cases. Overall, most exposures resulted in health care encounters for both adolescents (75.3% of cases) and young adults (72.1%), and effects were characterized as moderate in 47.1% of cases in adolescents and 45.3% in young adults. Two deaths occurred in adolescents. Both cases were multi-substance exposures, with fentanyl and hallucinogenic amphetamine listed as the primary cause of death. Between 2013 and 2018, the yearly number of psilocybin exposures reported to NPDS did not change significantly. Subsequently, the yearly number of cases increased significantly in adolescents beginning in 2019, and in young adults beginning in 2020 (P <0.001). Compared to 2018, the number of yearly cases of psilocybin exposure more than tripled in adolescents by 2022 (P <0.0001) and more than doubled in young adults (P <0.0001). During the study period, the yearly number of cases increased from 246 in 2013 to 545 in 2022 in males (P <0.0001) and from 73 to 213 (P <0.0001) in females. The authors conclude that the number of cases of psilocybin exposure in adolescents increased significantly from 2018 to 2022. Dr Raphael has disclosed no financial relationship relevant to this commentary. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device. Psychedelics are emerging as a promising treatment option for several psychiatric conditions.1,-3 In... You do not currently have access to this content.