Past-Year Psilocybin and Alcohol Co-Use: Associations With Mental Health Symptoms
Haley M Hummel, Alexia N Obrochta, David C. R. Kerr, Anita Cservenka
Journal of Drug Issues July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/00220426261466154 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,841 |
| Population | U.S. adults from the 2024 National Survey Investigating Hallucinogenic Trends |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Mental health Depression economics Alcohol Clinical psychology Observational study Depressive symptoms Naturalistic observation Substance use |
| Key findings | Individuals who co-used psilocybin and alcohol had fewer depressive symptoms than those who used alcohol without psilocybin. |
Abstract
Interest has grown in the effects of psilocybin on mental health, but little is known about its naturalistic use alongside alcohol and its relationship to depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Data from the nationally-representative 2024 National Survey Investigating Hallucinogenic Trends of participants who did ( n = 1234) or did not ( n = 1607) report past-year psilocybin and alcohol co-use were compared on depressive and anxiety symptoms and poor mental health days. Weighted regressions adjusted for age, sex, survey collection period, race, ethnicity, and past-year cannabis and other psychedelic use. Individuals with psilocybin and alcohol co-use had fewer depressive symptoms ( B (SE) = −.57(.28), β = −.04, p = .043) than those who used alcohol without psilocybin, suggesting potential benefits of psilocybin in individuals with co-use. After removing cannabis and other psychedelic use covariates, psilocybin use was also related to lower anxiety symptoms. However, given the observational and self-report study design, causal inferences cannot be made. Thus, longitudinal and experimental studies are needed.