Background: Psychedelic substance use in ritualistic and ceremonial settings dates back as early as 8,500 BCE. Only in recent years, from the mid-20th century, we have seen the re-emergence of psychedelics in a therapeutic setting and more specifically for the treatment of addiction. This article aims to review research over the past 40 years using classic (psilocybin, lysergic acid...
Polydrug use patterns among young adults using ecstasy vary, as well as their willingness to change them. Polydrug use patterns are likely associated with different adverse health outcomes. It is unknown whether polydrug use patterns of young adults who use ecstasy are similar in different countries. This study aims to identify and compare polydrug use patterns and willingness to change them of...
Introduction: This study offers insights into Dutch young people’s expected social and personal consequences of ecstasy use. Substance use expectancies are assumed to be an essential component in explaining substance use behaviour and, therefore, the development of effective substance use prevention and treatment strategies. Method: Dutch young adults with an online interest in drug-related...
In this article, we present an evaluation of online psychoactive substance trade via Telegram, a free encrypted social media messenger service. The evaluation took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed us to monitor the effects of the spring 2020 lockdown in the Netherlands on substance trade via Telegram. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether changes in psychoactive...
Introduction: Acute and long-term adverse effects of heavy cannabis use (HCU) on neurocognitive function have been suggested, as much as regional changes of brain volume. However, little is known about the relationship between impaired cognition and brain structure in individuals with HCU. Objective: Here, we investigated associations between cognition and cortical thickness (CT) in males with...
<b><i>Background:</i></b> Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), and sensation seeking (SS) have been consistently related to a higher risk of substance use (SU) and substance use disorder (SUD). <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> To investigate the relationship between ADHD and prevalence rates in males at age 20 and age 25, the initiation of SU and SUD after age 20,...
Background: Data on associations between cannabis use and psychopathology, cognition and functional impairment in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) is controversial. Objectives: To examine the effect of cannabis on psychopathology, cognition and real-world functioning in SSD patients. Method: Naturalistic cross-sectional study, 123 clinically stable SSD outpatients. Assessment: demographic...
It is unclear whether impairment in decision making, measured by the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), in addiction is substance-induced or the consequence of personality structure. Analysis of the IGT, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and cannabinoids in hair and urine were performed in 13 cannabis users and matched controls. Hair Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) correlated...
<i>Aims:</i> To describe and assess trends in the use of hallucinogens and other adjunct drugs over a 5-year period. <i>Design:</i> Repeated-measures cross-sectional survey. <i>Setting and Participants:</i> Annual magazine-based survey targeting people who use drugs in dance contexts. <i>Measurements:</i> Lifetime use prevalence (ever used); age of first use; current use prevalence (any use...
<i>Aim: </i>To measure the prevalence of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and other drug use in young males entering compulsory military service in Asturias (northern Spain) and to define trends in MDMA use in this group during the period from 1995 to 1999. We also sought to determine whether MDMA users have distinct personality features or higher levels of sensation seeking....
Twenty cases of cannabis psychosis were compared with a control group of 20 patients with 'acute schizophrenic episode' on a number of demographic, clinical, illness-related and outcome variables in a case-control study design using a retrospective chart review. The two groups were comparable on demographic, past and family histories of mental illness, premorbid personality, psychomotor...
This report presents findings of a community survey of 3,021 adolescents and young adults aged 14–24 years in Munich, Germany, carried out to determine the prevalence of use and abuse of and dependence on ecstasy, amphetamines and hallucinogens. The response rate was 71%. <b>Results:</b> (1) In 1995, 4% of the male and 2.3% of the female respondents aged 14–24 reported the use of ecstasy....