Health-related behavioral changes following the use of psychedelics in naturalistic settings

Introduction

Psychedelics, once widely stigmatised, are increasingly studied for therapeutic benefits. Earlier clinical and observational work has linked both classic psychedelics (for example LSD and psilocybin) and non-classic compounds (for example ketamine and MDMA) to sustained improvements in psychiatric symptoms and reductions in substance misuse; some trials reported high abstinence rates for tobacco and reductions in alcohol use. Emerging observational evidence also suggests broader effects on health-related behaviours such as diet, physical activity, and reduced incidence of cardiometabolic disease, and a few studies have reported associations between lifetime psychedelic use and lower odds of criminal or violent behaviour. However, whether therapeutic effects observed in controlled settings generalise to naturalistic use remains uncertain, and the behavioural impacts of psychedelics in real-world contexts are not well characterised. Teixeira and colleagues set out to address this gap using data from the Psychedelics and Wellness Study (PAWS). The present analysis examines associations between lifetime psychedelic use and self-reported changes in a range of health-related behaviours following psychedelic experiences, specifically eating habits, substance use (alcohol, cannabis, opiates, benzodiazepines, tobacco), and impulses related to aggression, criminality, and suicidality. The study also explored whether reported changes varied by specific psychedelic substance, dosing pattern (including microdosing), and frequency of use.