A new study has found that individuals who consume psychedelic substances are more likely to report symptoms associated with psychosis, which can be explained by the use of other psychoactive drugs and the presence of other mental health disorders.
Psychedelics are drugs that can alter an individual’s cognition, mood and perception. This class of drugs produces hallucinogenic effects when used. Common psychedelics include psilocybin and LSD.
Scientific studies conducted in the recent past have found evidence showing the possible therapeutic effects of these substances. However, few studies have looked into the potential harmful psychological effects associated with the use of these substances. While suggestions have been made suggesting that psychedelic substances cause prolonged psychotic reactions to develop, large studies have found no evidence to support these claims.
This particular study was led by Alexander V. Lebedev, whose objective was to look into this question in a healthy, nonclinical and young population. The researchers suggested that it would be easier identifying subclinical expressions of psychopathological traits in a nonpsychiatric group. These traits include cognitive biases found in the schizophrenia spectrum.
For their study, the researchers carried out a survey on a group of 1,032 adults in Sweden. Of this number, roughly 700 were aged between 18 and 35, had no history of brain trauma and hadn’t received psychiatric diagnoses. A measure of schizotypy was included in the questionnaire. Schizotypy is a personality trait that has schizophrenia-like characteristics, including paranoid thoughts and disorganized thinking.
The researchers compared nonusers of psychedelics to users, noting that the average schizotypy scores among psychedelic users were considerably higher. When they exclusively examined the healthy participants, the effect was slightly significant. When the researchers accounted for co-occurring use of drugs, the effect of the use of psychedelics on schizotypy wasn’t significant in either sample.
The researchers then conducted a follow-up survey using a subsample made up of 196 participants; the survey looked into patterns of drug use. The researchers discovered no evidence of heightened schizotypy among individuals with greater exposure to psychedelic substances. However, the use of stimulants such as amphetamines and cocaine was a strong predictor of higher schizotypy.
In their report, the researchers explained that their discoveries suggested the presence of a weak link between psychedelic substances and psychosis-like symptoms. They noted that their analysis didn’t support the hypothesis that psychedelic substances posed a severe risk for psychotic symptom development in young and healthy adults.
The study’s findings were reported in the “Scientific Reports” journal, and these results remove some of the objections that some people may have had with respect to the therapeutic formulations being developed by entities such as Mydecine Innovations Group Inc. (NEO: MYCO) (OTC: MYCOF).
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Mydecine Innovations Group Inc. (NEO: MYCO) (OTC: MYCOF) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/MYCOF
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