[Illicit use of classic psychedelics and suicidality: A systematic literature review].
L'Encephale July 1, 2026 Ana Beatriz Pereira de Oliveira, Matthieu Hein
This systematic review examined how illicit use of classic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, DMT, mescaline) relates to suicidality in adolescents and adults. Based on 11 studies of low methodological quality, the authors found that the association varies by substance: psilocybin use was significantly associated with reduced suicidality, LSD and DMT use with increased suicidality, and mescaline showed no association. They caution that these findings are preliminary due to major methodological limitations and call for prospective longitudinal studies. They also suggest that the apparent protective link with psilocybin warrants randomized controlled trials in secure medical settings to explore its potential in suicide prevention.