The Need for Psychiatric Treatment among Polish Users of Psychoactive Substances Is Increasing: This and Other Results from the Newest PolDrugs Survey
Gniewko Więckiewicz, Julia Marek, Iga Stokłosa, Sandra Szafoni, Szymon Pluta, Katarzyna Smukowska, Gabriela Żebrowska, Maciej Stokłosa, Piotr Gorczyca, Robert Pudło
Medicina May 9, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59050908 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA large Polish survey of 1,117 drug users found that marijuana, MDMA, and hallucinogenic mushrooms are the most commonly used substances, while amphetamine use is the most common reason for seeking medical help. Over 41 percent of respondents were receiving psychiatric treatment, with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and ADHD being the most frequent diagnoses. Compared to two years earlier, psilocybin and DMT use increased, heated tobacco product use rose, and the percentage receiving psychiatric help nearly doubled.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,117 |
| Population | Polish drug users recruited via social media |
| Topics | Anxiety Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Psychiatry Demographics Psychoactive substance |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key finding | Use of psilocybin and DMT increased, heated tobacco product use rose, and the percentage of respondents receiving psychiatric help nearly doubled over two years. |
Abstract
Background and Objectives: PolDrugs is the largest Polish naturalistic nationwide survey to present basic demographic and epidemiological data that could potentially prevent harm from illicit substances intake in drugs users. The most recent results were presented in 2021. The goal of this year’s edition was to re-present the above data and compare it to the previous edition’s data to identify and describe the differences. Materials and Methods: The survey included original questions about basic demographics, substance use, and psychiatric treatment. The survey was administered via the Google Forms platform and promoted via social media. The data was collected from 1117 respondents. Results: People of all ages use a variety of psychoactive substances in many situations. The three most commonly used drugs are marijuana, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and hallucinogenic mushrooms. The most common reason for seeking professional medical help was amphetamine use. A total of 41.7 percent of respondents were receiving psychiatric treatment. The three most common psychiatric diagnoses among the respondents were depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and ADHD. Conclusions: Key findings include increases in the use of psilocybin and DMT, increases in the use of heated tobacco products, and a near doubling in the percentage of individuals receiving psychiatric help in the past two years. These issues are discussed in the discussion section of this paper, which also addresses the limitations to the article.