From 2013 to 2022, US poison centers reported 4,055 psilocybin-related exposures among 13–25-year-olds, with 65.8% involving only psilocybin. Most single-substance cases received medical attention: 75.3% of adolescents and 72.1% of young adults. Cases remained stable from 2013 to 2018, then began rising in 2019. By 2022, adolescent cases more than tripled and young adult cases more than doubled compared to 2018. The authors call for continued national surveillance to monitor the impact of increasing psilocybin availability on youth.
In a survey of 5,580 adolescents (average age 18 years; 3,711 females, 1,869 males), females reported recalling dreams more often than males and felt dreams had a stronger impact on their following day. Females also described themselves as more creative and reported more sleep complaints and perceived stress. Statistical analysis showed that female gender, better sleep quality, and higher creativity independently predicted more frequent dream recall, while perceived stress, nighttime awakenings, and sleep duration did not. The findings mirror patterns seen in adults and suggest that recalling dreams is linked to health and well-being, unlike nightmares.
A one-day imagery rehearsal therapy workshop reduced chronic nightmares in adolescent girls with a history of unwanted sexual experiences. At three months, the treatment group reported 57% fewer nights with nightmares and 71% fewer nightmares per month, while the control group showed no significant change. Sleep quality and posttraumatic stress symptoms did not improve in either group. Imagery rehearsal therapy, which involves changing a nightmare's content and rehearsing the new version daily for 5 to 20 minutes, appears effective for chronic nightmares in this population.