A Case Report of Psilocybin-induced Psychosis in a Predisposed Patient
S Morris
Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience May 21, 2024 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.24.1180 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A patient with multiple predisposing risk factors including depression, personality disorder traits, and cannabis use |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Duration | Several months |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Psychosis |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Heavy psilocybin use in an individual with predisposing risk factors can trigger a psychotic episode with catatonic features and suicidality. |
Abstract
Psilocybin is gaining popularity as research shows potential benefits to those with anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Individuals with risk factors for psychosis are typically excluded from such studies, limiting the empiric research of the risks and benefits in vulnerable populations. In the real-world setting, many individuals who seek treatment with psilocybin will have comorbid psychiatric conditions and other factors that predispose them to psychosis. We report a case of a patient with multiple predisposing risk factors, including a history of depression, personality disorder traits, and cannabis use, who experienced a psychotic episode with catatonic features and suicidality after several months of heavy psilocybin use. A review of similar previously published case reports demonstrates a pattern of psilocybin-induced psychosis occurring primarily in individuals with predisposing factors who have consumed either high or repeated doses of the drug. This case report furthers this pattern, which serves as both a warning that psilocybin use is not without risks and reassurance for researchers using much lower doses to treat mental illness.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin Mushroom (Psilocybe semilanceata) Intoxication with Myocardial Infarction 18-year-old man | 1998 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Relief from intractable phantom pain by combining psilocybin and mirror visual-feedback (MVF) Person with leg amputation and phantom-limb pain | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder after psilocybin consumption: a case study 18-year-old man with HPPD after mixed psilocybin and cannabis intoxication | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Microdosing psilocybin for chronic pain: a case series Individuals with chronic neuropathic pain | 2022 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Improving access to novel treatments for treatment-resistant depression: The potential role of specialist clinics in Australia Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry May 26, 2026
- Naturally Derived Psilocybin for Therapeutic Use: A Six-Criterion Framework for Evidence, Safety, and Benefit–Risk Considerations in Policy and Clinical Development Biomolecules July 3, 2026
- Psilocybin and Mental Health Outcomes: Scoping Review with ☸SAIMSARA SAIMSARA Journal June 15, 2026
- Psilocybin in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Seeking Valuable Evidence in History, Pure Science, Clinical Trials and Real-World Data (RWD). Brain Sciences March 26, 2026
- Psilocybin and ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: clinical evidence, methodological constraints and ethical challenges: a narrative review Frontiers in Psychiatry September 15, 2026
Cites 9
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin Molecules May 15, 2021
- Abuse of Indigenous Psilocybin Mushrooms: A New Fashion and Some Psychiatric Complications The British Journal of Psychiatry June 1, 1978
- Khat and mushrooms associated with psychosis The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry 2004
- Severe rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure and posterior encephalopathy after ???magic mushroom??? abuse European Journal of Emergency Medicine November 7, 2005
and 4 more in the library