TOPLINE: 

About 3% of individuals aged 12 years or older in the US used psilocybin in 2024, representing about 8 million people, a new survey study showed. Factors linked to psilocybin use included having a major depressive episode (MDE) or alcohol use disorder; using substances such as cannabis, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ketamine, or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA); and misusing prescription stimulants.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers analyzed data for more than 58,600 participants aged 12 years or older from the 2024 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
• Prevalence estimates were calculated for the overall use of psilocybin in the past year and stratified by demographics, substance use patterns and mental health indications.
• Analysis included assessment of past-year use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes/vaping, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, MDMA, or ketamine; past-year misuse of prescription drugs such as pain relievers, stimulants, or tranquilizers/sedatives; and having past-year alcohol use disorder or MDE.

TAKEAWAY:

• 2.8% of the participants used psilocybin in the previous year. Individuals aged 18-25 years had higher odds of past-year psilocybin use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.4) and those aged 50 years or older had lower odds (aOR, 0.35) than individuals aged 35-49 years.
• Psilocybin use was most strongly associated with past-year use of cannabis (aOR, 13.6), followed by use of LSD (aOR, 7.9), ketamine (aOR, 6.0), MDMA (aOR, 3.5), cocaine (aOR, 1.9), and nicotine vaping (aOR, 1.2).
• Girls and women had lower odds of past-year use of psilocybin than boys and men (aOR, 0.6), as did non-Hispanic Black individuals compared to non-Hispanic White individuals (aOR, 0.4).
• Past-year MDE (aOR, 1.4), alcohol use disorder (aOR, 1.3), and prescription stimulant misuse (aOR, 1.95) were also associated with psilocybin use.

IN PRACTICE:

The psilocybin prevalence findings suggest that “psychiatrists are likely to encounter patients who use it outside of clinical settings,” the investigators wrote. 

“Clinicians should consider screening for psilocybin use, particularly among patients who use other psychedelics or cannabis and those with depression, and inquire about motivations for use and perceived benefits or harms,” the investigators wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Kevin H. Yang, MD, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, San Diego. It was published online on April 21 as a priority data letter in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

LIMITATIONS: 

Reliance on self-report may have introduced social desirability and recall bias. Unsheltered homeless individuals and those living in institutionalized settings were underrepresented. The study also lacked data on frequency, dosage, and contexts of use and did not distinguish naturalistic or recreational use from legally supervised psilocybin services. Additionally, the low overall response rate may have introduced a nonresponse bias.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Disclosure information for the study investigators is available in the original article.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.