Motives for the use of serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review.
Lukas A Basedow, Sören Kuitunen-Paul
Drug and Alcohol Review September 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13480 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Serotonin |
| Keywords | Drug use Hallucinogens Motivation Reason Spiritual |
| Citations | 42 |
| Key findings | The most common motive for using serotonergic psychedelics is the desire to expand awareness, reported in 78% of included studies. |
Abstract
Serotonergic psychedelics (SP) are psychoactive substances that produce unique sets of subjective effects, such as hallucinatory experiences. This systematic review is the first to summarise which motives for SP use have been assessed in medical, psychological, sociological and ethnological research across different types of SPs and across cultural backgrounds. Findings on use motives can be especially important in the context of harm reduction. We searched academic databases (Medline, Web of Science and Embase) and included publications if they were peer-reviewed and written in English, German, Spanish or Dutch. We analysed which type of motives were reported, comparing motives from quantitative and qualitative reports, and investigating associations between motives and year of publication, specific SPs and specific participant populations. Our search in November 2020 resulted in 30,257 unique articles of which 37 were included in the analysis. Across all studies, the most common motive for SP use was the desire to expand awareness (78% of included studies), followed by coping (67%) and enhancement (57%) motives. There were no statistically significant associations between reported motive and type of report (quantitative vs. qualitative), year of publication (range: 1967-2020), type of SP and participant population. If SP-related harms are to be reduced, harm-reduction services could focus on providing non-pharmacological ways of fulfilling an expansion motive. Additionally, future studies should aim to assess specific motives for specific SPs. SPs are most commonly used to expand (self-)knowledge, promote spiritual development or for curiosity, notably across different SP user populations including patients.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on serotonin, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 37
- Measuring psychotherapeutic processes in the context of psychedelic experiences: Validation of the General Change Mechanisms Questionnaire (GCMQ) Journal of Psychopharmacology May 1, 2024
- Unlocking the healing power of psilocybin: an overview of the role of psilocybin therapy in major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorder Frontiers in Psychiatry June 11, 2024
- A landscape analysis of psychedelic retreat organizations advertising online PLoS One May 2, 2025
- A Pilot Study Comparing a Community of Practice Program with and without Concurrent Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Journal of Psychoactive Drugs September 1, 2023
- Deepening Psychedelic Integration: Exploring Complex Settings, Understanding User's Struggles, and Implementing Safe Interventions. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences November 24, 2024
and 32 more in the library
Cites 52
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- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
- Receptor interaction profiles of novel psychoactive tryptamines compared with classic hallucinogens. European Neuropsychopharmacology May 20, 2016
- Adverse effects of psychedelics: From anecdotes and misinformation to systematic science. Journal of Psychopharmacology February 2, 2022
and 47 more in the library