Nov 13, 2024 11:29 PM
(This post was last modified: Nov 13, 2024 11:46 PM by C C.)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1064355
INTRO: Individuals with emergency department visits involving hallucinogen use are at high risk of developing schizophrenia, according to a new study from researchers at ICES, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa’s Department of Family Medicine, and Bruyère Health Research Institute.
These findings come as psychedelics, a type of hallucinogen, grow in popularity across North America in both recreational and therapeutic contexts. Hallucinogens include drugs such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT (Ayahuasca), and MDMA (Ecstasy).
The study, which followed over 9.2 million individuals in Ontario, Canada, found that those with a hallucinogen-related emergency department (ED) visit had a 21-fold increased risk of developing schizophrenia compared to the general population. Even after considering an individual’s co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, the study found a 3.5-fold increased risk of schizophrenia.
“Our findings underscore a concerning link between hallucinogen use that requires care in the emergency room and increased risk of schizophrenia,” says Dr. Daniel Myran, a Canada Research Chair in Social Accountability at the University of Ottawa, ICES Adjunct Scientist, Investigator at the Bruyère Health Research Institute, and Clinician Investigator at The Ottawa Hospital.
“While there is enormous enthusiasm for psychedelic-assisted therapy as a new mental health treatment, we need to remember how early and limited the data remains for both the benefits and the risks,” adds Myran.
Published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers analysed health data for people aged 14 to 65 years old living in Ontario from 2008 to 2021... (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: Individuals with emergency department visits involving hallucinogen use are at high risk of developing schizophrenia, according to a new study from researchers at ICES, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa’s Department of Family Medicine, and Bruyère Health Research Institute.
These findings come as psychedelics, a type of hallucinogen, grow in popularity across North America in both recreational and therapeutic contexts. Hallucinogens include drugs such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT (Ayahuasca), and MDMA (Ecstasy).
The study, which followed over 9.2 million individuals in Ontario, Canada, found that those with a hallucinogen-related emergency department (ED) visit had a 21-fold increased risk of developing schizophrenia compared to the general population. Even after considering an individual’s co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, the study found a 3.5-fold increased risk of schizophrenia.
“Our findings underscore a concerning link between hallucinogen use that requires care in the emergency room and increased risk of schizophrenia,” says Dr. Daniel Myran, a Canada Research Chair in Social Accountability at the University of Ottawa, ICES Adjunct Scientist, Investigator at the Bruyère Health Research Institute, and Clinician Investigator at The Ottawa Hospital.
“While there is enormous enthusiasm for psychedelic-assisted therapy as a new mental health treatment, we need to remember how early and limited the data remains for both the benefits and the risks,” adds Myran.
Published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers analysed health data for people aged 14 to 65 years old living in Ontario from 2008 to 2021... (MORE - details, no ads)
