Patterns of use, desired effects, and mental health status of a sample of natural psychoactive drug users
Marc Aixalà, Genís Ona, Òscar Parés, José Carlos Bouso
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy May 7, 2019 DOI: 10.1080/09687637.2019.1611739 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 564 |
| Population | Natural psychoactive drug users recruited online from 52 countries |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Sample material Psychoactive substance Environmental health |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key findings | Natural psychoactive drug users are typically well-educated adults who use substances like psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca sporadically, report positive life impacts, and have good mental health, suggesting NPDs should not be classified with synthetic NPSs. |
Abstract
In recent years, the use of natural psychoactive drugs (NPDs) has grown rapidly. They are classified as new psychoactive substances (NPSs), despite the reality that they have been used for centuries. We are lacking information regarding patterns of use or characteristics of users, but some evidence suggests that NPDs substantially differ from NPSs in terms of both their safety profile and patterns of use. The aim of this study was to investigate patterns of use and user characteristics by collecting data from a sample of NPD users. We designed an online questionnaire that was shared through social media. A sample of 564 NPD users was recruited from 52 different countries, with the United States being the most common (19%), followed by Spain (14.9%). The typical user in our sample is a well-educated adult individual who uses NPDs sporadically. The most used substances were Psilocybe mushrooms (88.5%) and ayahuasca (51%). Users reported that the use of NPDs positively influenced their lives, and they showed a good mental health status. Stakeholders should consider these results particularly when deciding on legal classifications for these substances, as the study findings suggest that NPDs should not be in the same class as NPSs.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT Adults reporting a single most memorable God encounter experience, either nondrug or... | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 4,285 |
| Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey. Ayahuasca users from more than 50 countries who completed an online survey | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 10,836 |
| Ayahuasca in adolescence: a preliminary psychiatric assessment. Adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect and matched controls | 2005 | Controlled cross-sectional study | n = 80 |
| Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users. Regular hoasca users from a U.S. branch of União do Vegetal and matched non-user controls | 2016 | Cross-sectional study | n = 57 |
| Indoleamine Hallucinogens in Cluster Headache: Results of the Clusterbusters Medication Use Survey People with cluster headache | 2015 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 496 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Long-term effects of psychedelic drugs: A systematic review Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 16, 2020
- People of color in North America report improvements in racial trauma and mental health symptoms following psychedelic experiences Drugs Education Prevention and Policy December 10, 2020
- Cross-Sectional Associations Between Lifetime Use of Psychedelic Drugs and Psychometric Measures During the COVID-19 Confinement: A Transcultural Study Frontiers in Psychiatry June 16, 2021
- Validation of a new instrument for assessing attitudes on psychedelics in the general population Scientific Reports October 29, 2022
- Effects of Psychedelic Use on Racial Trauma Symptoms and Ethnic Identity among Asians in North America Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 11, 2022
and 6 more in the library
Cites 31
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Psychedelics and the essential importance of context. Journal of Psychopharmacology February 15, 2018
- Evidence for 5-HT2 involvement in the mechanism of action of hallucinogenic agents. Life Sciences December 17, 1984
- Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences Journal of Psychopharmacology August 31, 2016
- Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2015
and 26 more in the library