Journal of psychoactive drugs最新文献

Despite common depictions in the media, there is little scientific evidence on microdosing psychedelic drugs. We assessed awareness, prevalence, and dosing practices of microdosing psychedelic drugs among young adults 18-22 years old from Southern California (2018-2019). We examined whether sociodemographic factors, personality traits, mental health, or other substance use behaviors were correlated with having ever microdosed. Among 2,396 participants, 293 (12%) had heard of microdosing and 74 (3%) ever microdosed. Among those who had heard of microdosing, 79% correctly defined microdosing as taking an amount of a psychedelic much lower than a standard dose, whereas 15% misperceived microdosing as a standard psychedelic dose. Psilocybin was the most common drug ever microdosed (70%), followed by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD, 57%). Among those who ever microdosed, ~18% reported using psychoactive doses far higher than would be generally considered a microdose. White race, male/masculine gender identity, bisexual identity, past 6-month other drug use, greater attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, mindfulness, and sensation-seeking were positively associated with having ever microdosed in multivariable models. Young adult microdosing merits further attention from scientific and public health professionals to help prevent misperceptions and potential adverse consequences as well as explore its potential therapeutic applications.

Interest in psychedelics and their possible therapeutic potential has been growing. Metaphysical belief theory asserts that these benefits stem from the adoption of comforting supernatural beliefs following a mystical experience. By contrast, predictive self-binding theory suggests that the beneficial outcomes of psychedelics are primarily driven by psychological insights. The present study tests these competing models of psychedelic benefits. We conducted a quantitative content analysis on unsolicited self-reports of psychedelic users available on Erowid.org, to examine the potential relations between psychological insight, ego dissolution, therapeutic intent, altered metaphysical belief, and enduring health outcomes. We randomly selected, coded, and analyzed two hundred forty psychedelic experience reports from the website. Path analysis using structural equation modeling showed that psychological insight, not metaphysical beliefs, uniquely predicted beneficial outcomes. Moreover, beneficial outcomes' positive relation to ego dissolution and therapeutic intent was fully mediated by psychological insight. These findings support the predictive self-binding model over the metaphysical belief model.

Qualitative studies and anecdotal reports suggest that experiences with ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew found in Central and South America, may be followed by individuals enduringly feeling more grateful and connected to nature. Yet, to date, these changes have been understudied. Here, participants (N = 54) completed validated surveys related to gratitude, nature relatedness, and nature appreciation one-week before, one-week after, and one-month after attending an ayahuasca retreat center. Compared to baseline, there was a significant increase in gratitude, nature relatedness, and nature appreciation at the one-week and one-month follow-ups. Ratings of mystical-type experiences and awe, but not ego dissolution, during participants' ayahuasca sessions were weakly-to-moderately correlated with these increases. The number of ayahuasca ceremonies attended at the retreat was not related to change in outcomes, underscoring the importance of the quality rather than the quantity of the experiences in post-acute change. Lastly, participant age was negatively related to the occurrence of mystical-type experiences and awe, supporting literature indicating blunted psychedelic effects with increased age. In the context of study limitations, the results suggest that mystical-type experiences and awe occasioned by ayahuasca may be linked to prosocial changes in gratitude and relationships with nature that may be beneficial to mental health.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is gaining recognition for its potential to enhance human functioning. While most research has focused on psychedelic' therapeutic use for mental illness, this review applies the PERMA Theory of Well-Being to systematically examine their role in enhancing well-being in healthy individuals. The final search of five academic databases was conducted on February 4, 2024, including studies published from 1994. After applying the inclusion criteria (controlled or naturalistic experimental design with an outcome measurement at least 7 days post-consumption), 19 studies were included. Encompassing 949 participants, two studies involved 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), seven ayahuasca, two lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and eight psilocybin. Results consistently indicate psychedelic consumption is related to enduring enhancements in PERMA's five elements of well-being, including positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. While discussion of adverse effects was frequently absent, no serious adverse effects were reported in six studies. Future research should address the limitations of the included studies by conducting larger-scale, longitudinal randomized controlled trials that incorporate a comprehensive assessment of well-being. Nevertheless, the findings of this systematic review call for a paradigm shift, moving beyond a disease-focused lens to recognizing psychedelics' capacity to enhance well-being in healthy individuals, ultimately fostering human flourishing.

Based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study investigated the factors of psychoactive substance use in terms of current use (past 30 days), lifetime use, and behavioral intention (next 12 months) in Hong Kong adolescent case-clients of social workers from July 2021 to June 2022. The prevalence of current/lifetime psychoactive substance use and behavioral intention to use psychoactive substances was 7.6%/20.9% and 8.6%, respectively. The SCT constructs of positive outcome expectancy of psychoactive substance use, the observational learning indicators, and the environmental factor (easiness to obtain psychoactive substances) were positively associated with current and lifetime psychoactive substance use. Similar associations involving negative outcome expectancy (NOE), emotional relief refusal self-efficacy (RSE), and opportunistic RSE were significant and negative. Furthermore, NOE, emotional relief RSE, and social facilitation RSE were significantly associated with behavioral intention of psychoactive substance use. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm the findings and test pilot interventions.

Young adults who struggle with paternal substance use disorder frequently experience elevated levels of shame, which are a result of both internalized feelings of inadequacy and societal stigma. This study aims to develop and validate a perceived shame scale with paternal substance use disorder. This study comprises two phases. Phase I involves the development of the perceived shame of paternal substance use disorder scale, and Phase II aims to validate this scale. This study employed a mixed-method research design and purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from 340 participants for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 300 participants for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Participants, aged 20-30 years (M = 25.12, SD = 3.05) were recruited. The results finalized twenty-two (22) items with four sub-scales after CFA i.e. psychological problems, interpersonal problems, existential problems, and social problems demonstrating excellent validity and reliability. In conclusion, the results provide a useful tool for future research and clinical interventions aimed at addressing paternal substance use disorder and related emotional difficulties, in addition to furthering our understanding of the internalized and societal causes of shame. The findings of this study have important ramifications for developing empathy, lowering stigma, and advancing efficient support networks for those dealing with this difficult problem.

We examined the association of recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) with frequency of using cannabis, alcohol, and sleep medication for sleep and with co-use of cannabis with other sleep aids. We used linear regression models to examine these associations in a population-based sample of adult twins (n = 3,141). Participants (M_age = 37 (SD = 5)) were primarily White (93%), with 5% Hispanic/Latinx, and female (61%). RCL was associated with using cannabis for sleep more frequently even after controlling for cohort, demographics, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, physical health, season, and pre-legalization cannabis use frequency (β = 0.123, p = .001). RCL was not associated with frequency of using alcohol or sleep medication for sleep, or with co-use of cannabis and other sleep aids. More research is needed to determine whether RCL leads to more frequent use of cannabis for sleep.

Cannabis is often used with other illicit drugs. Drawing from leading theories of polysubstance use, we used data from the 2009-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the prevalence of reported lifetime use of cannabis and cocaine, heroin, and/or methamphetamine among non-pregnant respondents ages 18-59 years. After identifying the subpopulation that reported using multiple drugs, we used multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify their demographic characteristics and factors associated with drug treatment participation. Within our analytic sample (N = 16,946), 18.7% reported lifetime cannabis use and cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine use; 1.4% reported using all four of these drugs in their lifetime. Among individuals who reported using multiple drugs, 21.3% reported drug treatment participation. Compared to respondents who had never been in drug treatment, those who had been had higher odds of being non-Hispanic Black (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-2.8), being in fair/poor health (AOR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-1.9), and reporting more medical conditions (AOR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.4). Being female, Mexican American, married, and a non-citizen lowered the odds of drug treatment. Having more than a high-school education and having a household income of more than $100,000 also reduced the odds of drug treatment.

We examined the perceived importance of counseling and its correlates among patients receiving methadone treatment (MT). Participants were 345 patients attending MT who completed 7-point Likert-type scales from 1 ("Strongly Disagree") to 7 ("Strongly Agree") to rate agreement with perceived importance of counseling, opioid use disorder (OUD) illness models, and OUD treatment beliefs. We examined predictors of perceived importance of counseling using hierarchical linear regression; steps 1, 2, and 3 were demographics, OUD illness models, and OUD treatment beliefs, respectively. Most (76%) agreed counseling was important (Mean = 5.6, SD = 1.7). Demographics did not contribute significantly to the regression model, F(4, 340) = 0.88, p > .05). R² was significant for Step 2 (F = 2.89, p < .05) but individual OUD illness model variables did not make a significant contribution (F(3, 337) = 1.76, p > .05). The addition of OUD treatment beliefs on Step 3 (positive overall treatment expectation, importance of daily methadone, life-saving benefit of methadone medication, and importance of mutual aid) explained an additional 51% of the variation in perceived importance of counseling and this change in R² was significant, F(4, 333) = 31.17, p < .001. We conclude that most participants perceived counseling to be important and OUD treatment beliefs independently predicted perceived importance of counseling.

Understanding smoking behaviors in vulnerable groups is essential for effective cessation services. This study characterizes tobacco consumption and identifies factors associated with nicotine dependence and motivation to quit among individuals entering alcohol and cannabis treatment programs. A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted in ten centers in Barcelona province. Participants' sociodemographics and tobacco use were assessed, including cigarette consumption and nicotine dependence (Fagerström test). Self-efficacy and motivation to quit were measured on a 0-10 Likert scale. A decision-tree analysis identified factors linked to moderate-to-high nicotine dependence (Fagerström ≥ 5) and high cessation motivation (≥7). Most participants (96.1%) use tobacco daily, with 57.0% using manufactured and 42.2% roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes. Mean cigarette consumption was 15.2/day (SD = 8.7), with nicotine dependence (4.4, SD = 2.3). Cannabis users started smoking tobacco earlier than those who used alcohol. Over the past year, two-thirds attempted quitting and 60% had high cessation motivation. Self-efficacy for quitting was moderate (mean = 5.1; SD = 3.3). RYO use, age over 45, and alcohol use were associated with moderate-to-high nicotine dependence (probabilities = 0.52, 0.62, and 0.71, respectively). Having a non-tobacco social network was linked to a high motivation to quit (probability = 0.72). Participants had moderate nicotine dependence, low self-efficacy, and high motivation to quit tobacco. Dependence was higher among RYO users, ≥45 years/old, and people with alcohol use disorder. High motivation was more frequent among those with a non-tobacco social network. Integrating cessation support into substance treatment, focusing on RYO and young users, and promoting self-efficacy and tobacco-free socialization may enhance cessation success.