The use of classic psychedelics among adults: a Danish online survey study

Abstract

Background

Clinical studies report preliminary therapeutic effects of classic psychedelic drugs in several psychiatric conditions and international drug trends show increased use of these compounds. However, the epidemiology of classic psychedelic drug use in Scandinavian countries remains sparsely investigated. To this end, we investigated the patterns of use and the subjectively perceived acute and persisting effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and mescaline, among Danish adults.

Methods

An anonymous online survey with 152 items was conducted using the secure survey web application REDCap. Results were presented descriptively and as comparisons between psychedelic drugs.

Results

Five-hundred participants (30.0% female, mean age 34.5 years) were included. Classic psychedelics were mostly used with therapeutic (28.0%) or spiritual (27.2%) intentions. Sixty-seven per cent used classic psychedelics once a year or less. Most participants (56.4%) preferred using psilocybin. Classic psychedelic use was for some individuals, associated with hazardous use of alcohol (39.4%). Among participants with a psychiatric treatment history, 80.9% reported subjective improvements in symptoms following classic psychedelic use. Participants’ most memorable experiences were moderate-to-strong mystical-type experiences (MEQ30 mean ± SD 3.4 ± 1.0; range 1–5) and had positive persisting effects on well-being (mean ± SD 2.1 ± 1.0), social relationships (mean ± SD 1.7 ± 1.2), meaning of life (mean ± SD 1.9 ± 1.1), and mood (mean ± SD 1.8 ± 1.1); range −3 to 3. DMT users experienced significantly greater subjective positive effects.

Conclusions

Classic psychedelics were mostly used therapeutically or spiritually and had self-reported positive persisting effects, but were also associated with hazardous use of alcohol, among Danish adults. DMT was associated with significantly greater positive effects compared to LSD and psilocybin.

Keywords:

• Psychedelics
• psilocybin
• lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
• N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
• survey

Acknowledgements

We want to express our gratitude to all the study participants who gave their time to complete the survey. Further, we want to thank Psykedelisk Samfund and Psychedelia.dk for their assistance in facilitating participant recruitment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data are not available.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by The Lundbeck Foundation under grant number R327-2019-828.

Notes on contributors

Tobias Søgaard Juul

Tobias Søgaard Juul, MD at Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet. He is interested in the efficacy and mechanisms of action of psychedelics for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.

Mathias Ebbesen Jensen

Mathias Ebbesen Jensen, MD, clinical researcher and currently a PhD-student at Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet. His main research interests are efficacy and mechanisms of action of novel pharmacotherapies including psychedelics for treatment of alcohol use disorder.

Anders Fink-Jensen

Anders Fink-Jensen, Professor, Head of Clinic, MD, DMSci, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet. His primary research focuses are preclinical and clinical investigation of substance abuse, psychosis, schizophrenia, and psychopharmacological treatment.