Dr. Daniel Myran of the University of Ottawa is lead author of a study on the links between drug use and schizophrenia. Article content
People who visit emergency departments because of hallucinogenic drug use are at a heightened risk of developing schizophrenia, according to a new study.
The research, led by Dr. Daniel Myran, a Canada Research Chair in Social Accountability at the University of Ottawa, followed more than 9.2 million people in Ontario. It found that those with hallucinogen-related visits to emergency departments had a 21 times higher risk of developing schizophrenia than the general population.
Article content
The findings do not show a causal link between the use of hallucinogens such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT (Ayahuasca) and MDMA (Ecstasy), Myran emphasized, but they do offer a “timely reminder that we know very little about what some of the potential adverse effects (of hallucinogenic drug use) are.”
The study, from researchers at ICES (Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences), The Ottawa Hospital, uOttawa’s department of family medicine and the Bruyere Health Research Institute, comes at a time when psychedelics are growing in popularity across North America, both for therapeutic and recreational use. It was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
Myran said it is clear that more information is needed about risks associated with different types and use patterns of hallucinogens.
“Our findings underscore a concerning link between hallucinogen use that requires care in the emergency room and increased risk of schizophrenia,” said Myran.
“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,” he said.Article contentArticle contentAmong other things, the research highlighted the growing use of psychedelics. Annual rates of emergency department visits involving hallucinogens were stable between 2008 and 2012, but they increased by 86 per cent between 2013 and 2021. Researchers looked at people between 14 and 65 living in Ontario.They found that within three years of an emergency department visit involving hallucinogens, four per cent of people were diagnosed with schizophrenia. That compares to 0.15 per cent for members of […]
Study finds ‘concerning link’ between hospital visits for psychedelic use and schizophrenia
