People who land in the ER for psychedelic use are at significantly higher risk of schizophrenia, according to an eye-opening new study.
Canadian researchers tracked more than 9.2 million people in Ontario over 13 years, finding that those with a hallucinogen-related emergency had a 3.5-fold increase in schizophrenia risk when taking into account their substance use and mental health.
About 1% of Americans are affected by schizophrenia. The chronic and severe brain disorder, which impacts how a person thinks, feels and behaves, is often diagnosed from the late teen years to the early 30s.
Within three years of an ER visit involving a hallucinogen such as psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca and ecstasy, 4% were diagnosed with schizophrenia compared to 0.15% of the general population, the new research found.
People who visit the ER for a hallucinogen problem are at much higher risk for a schizophrenia diagnosis than people who go to the ER for alcohol or marijuana use.
The researchers noted that psychedelics have been growing in popularity across North America for recreational and therapeutic use, with celebrities like Kristen Bell and Aaron Rodgers publicly sharing their experiences.
Nine percent of US adults 19 to 30 reported taking a hallucinogen in 2023, up from 5% in 2017 and 3% in 2012.
Four percent of adults 35 to 50 admitted taking a hallucinogen in 2023, an increase from 2% in 2021 and less than 1% in 2017 and 2012.
Amid this upswing, annual rates of Ontario ER visits involving hallucinogens rose by 86% between 2013 and 2021 after being stable between 2008 and 2012.
The researchers say that people with an underlying susceptibility to psychosis or schizophrenia may need to avoid psychedelics.
“Clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy have safeguards, such as excluding individuals with a personal or family history of schizophrenia and close monitoring while participants use hallucinogens,” said Dr. Daniel Myran, a Canada research chair in social accountability at the University of Ottawa. “Our findings provide a timely caution about potential risks of hallucinogen use outside of trial settings.”
The study authors emphasize that their results — published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry — do not establish a causal link between hallucinogen use and schizophrenia.
More information is needed about the risks associated with different types of hallucinogens and their use patterns.
“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,” Myran said.
