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Psychedelic Drug Use by Adolescents

Burt Shachter

Social Work July 1, 1968 DOI: 10.1093/sw/13.3.33 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Anxiety
Keywords Vulnerability computing Mental health Drug prevention Panic Developmental psychology Substance abuse Clinical psychology Computer security
Citations 1
Key points Argues that adolescent LSD use leads to panic states and psychoses, diverts teens from essential developmental tasks, and politically deactivates talented youth.

Abstract

The author presents background about the growth of the psychedelic drug culture among adolescents, concentrating on the implications of the patterns of use of a major psychedelic drug, LSD, for future human development. Three areas of consequence are delineated: (1) the vulnerability of many persons who use LSD to marked panic states and psychoses, (2) the diversion of those in their middle and late teens from essential developmental tasks with longer range mental health hazards, and (3) the political deactivization of those youths most talented and sensitive to societal imperfections.

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