Adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking following the use of magic mushrooms
In a global 2017 survey of 9,233 past‑year users, only 19 (0.2%) reported seeking emergency medical treatment after using psilocybin (≈0.06% per event), indicating very low incidence of serious harm. Most cases involved short‑lived psychological symptoms (anxiety, panic, paranoia), were linked to younger age, poor ‘set’ and ‘setting’ or mixing substances, and the authors conclude that serious reactions are rare and that harm‑reduction information may reduce risk.
Authors
- James Rucker
- Allan Young
- Adam Winstock
Published
Abstract
Background
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms are used for recreational, spiritual, self-development and therapeutic purposes. However, physiologically relatively nontoxic, adverse reactions are occasionally reported.
Aims
This study investigated the 12-month prevalence and nature of magic mushroom-related adverse reactions resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking in a global sample of people reporting magic mushroom use.
Methods
We use data from the 2017 Global Drug Survey – a large anonymous online survey on patterns of drug use conducted between November 2016 and January 2017.
Results
Out of 9233 past year magic mushroom users, 19 (0.2%) reported having sought emergency medical treatment, with a per-event risk estimate of 0.06%. Young age was the only predictor associated with higher risk of emergency medical presentations. The most common symptoms were psychological, namely anxiety/panic and paranoia/suspiciousness. Poor ‘mindset’, poor ‘setting’ and mixing substances were most reported reasons for incidents. All but one respondent returned back to normality within 24 h.
Conclusions
The results confirm psilocybin mushrooms are a relatively safe drug, with serious incidents rare and short lasting. Providing harm-reduction information likely plays a key role in preventing adverse effects. More research is needed to examine the detailed circumstances and predictors of adverse reactions including rarer physiological reactions.
Research Summary of 'Adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking following the use of magic mushrooms'
Introduction
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms have long historical use and, in modern times, have drawn renewed research interest because of promising therapeutic signals for conditions such as depression, anxiety and addiction. Pharmacologically, psilocybin acts largely via partial agonism at the 5-HT2A receptor and produces perceptual changes, emotional lability and alterations in sense of self, time and space. Earlier experimental and epidemiological work indicates that, relative to many other recreational drugs, psilocybin is physiologically low in toxicity and rarely causes severe medical harm; nevertheless, acute psychological adverse reactions (for example anxiety, panic, paranoia and disorientation) occur, and there are rare reports of seizures, loss of consciousness and injury related to impaired judgement. Variability in mushroom potency, mixing with other substances and non-optimised set and setting are cited as factors that may increase risk, and the literature on harms remains limited outside controlled experimental settings. Kopra and colleagues set out to quantify and characterise adverse experiences after magic mushroom use that led to emergency medical treatment (EMT) seeking. Using data from the 2017 Global Drug Survey (GDS), the study aimed to estimate the 12-month prevalence and per-event risk of EMT seeking among past-year mushroom users, to identify demographic and use-related predictors, and to describe symptom profiles, recovery time, concomitant substance use, perceived reasons for incidents and subsequent changes to substance use.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
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- APA Citation
Kopra, E. I., Ferris, J. A., Winstock, A. R., Young, A. H., & Rucker, J. J. (2022). Adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking following the use of magic mushrooms. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 36(8), 965-973. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811221084063
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