Adults who microdose psychedelics report health related motivations and lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-microdosers

AbstractThe use of psychedelic substances at sub-sensorium ‘microdoses’, has gained popular academic interest for reported positive effects on wellness and cognition. The present study describes microdosing practices, motivations and mental health among a sample of self-selected microdosers (n = 4050) and non-microdosers (n = 4653) via a mobile application. Psilocybin was the most commonly used microdose substances in our sample (85%) and we identified diverse microdose practices with regard to dosage, frequency, and the practice of stacking which involves combining psilocybin with non-psychedelic substances such as Lion’s Mane mushrooms, chocolate, and niacin. Microdosers were generally similar to non-microdosing controls with regard to demographics, but were more likely to report a history of mental health concerns. Among individuals reporting mental health concerns, microdosers exhibited lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress across gender. Health and wellness-related motives were the most prominent motives across microdosers in general, and were more prominent among females and among individuals who reported mental health concerns. Our results indicate health and wellness motives and perceived mental health benefits among microdosers, and highlight the need for further research into the mental health consequences of microdosing including studies with rigorous longitudinal designs.

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Pre-transplant history of mental health concerns, non-adherence, and post-transplant outcomes in kidney transplant recipients

Journal of Psychosomatic Research ◽

10.1016/j.jpsychores.2017.12.013 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 105 ◽

pp. 115-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Franz Marie Gumabay ◽

Marta Novak ◽

Aarushi Bansal ◽

Margot Mitchell ◽

Olusegun Famure ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Kidney Transplant ◽

Transplant Recipients ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Post Transplant ◽

Transplant Outcomes ◽

History Of ◽

Mental Health Concerns

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Mental Health Concerns Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic on Twitter in the UK

10.1101/2021.09.27.21264177 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daiwei Zhang ◽

Yue Liu ◽

Senqi Zhang ◽

Li Sun ◽

Pin Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Topic Modeling ◽

Latent Dirichlet Allocation ◽

Allocation Model ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Health Related ◽

Mental Health Concerns ◽

Twitter Users ◽

The Uk

AbstractBackgroundAmid the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health-related symptoms (such as depression and anxiety) have been actively mentioned on social media.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to monitor mental health concerns on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK), and assess the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health concerns of Twitter users.MethodsWe collected COVID-19 and mental health-related tweets from the UK between March 5, 2020 and January 31, 2021 through the Twitter Streaming API. We conducted topic modeling using Latent Dirichlet Allocation model to examine discussions about mental health concerns. Deep learning algorithms including Face++ were used to infer the demographic characteristics (age and gender) of Twitter users who expressed mental health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsWe showed a positive correlation between COVID-19-related mental health concerns on Twitter and the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Geographic analysis showed that populated urban areas have a higher proportion of Twitter users with mental health concerns compared to England as a whole. Topic modeling showed that general concerns, COVID-19 skeptics, and Death toll were the top topics discussed in mental health-related tweets. Demographic analysis showed that middle-aged and older adults might be more likely to suffer from mental health issues or express their mental health concerns on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has noticeable effects on mental health concerns on Twitter in the UK, which varied among demographic and geographic groups.

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Outcome of pediatric emergency mental health visits: incidence and timing of suicide

CJEM ◽

10.1017/cem.2019.470 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 321-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joshua Lee ◽

Tyler Black ◽

Garth Meckler ◽

Quynh Doan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Pediatric Emergency ◽

Preventative Care ◽

Related Condition ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Emergency Mental Health ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Health Related ◽

Mental Health Concerns

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo determine the incidence, risk, and timing of mortality (unnatural and natural causes) among youth seen in a pediatric emergency department (ED) for mental health concerns, compared with matched non–mental health ED controls.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a quaternary pediatric ED in British Columbia. All visits for a mental health related condition between July 1st, 2005, and June 30th, 2015, were matched on age, sex, triage acuity, socioeconomic status, and year of visit to a non–mental health control visit. Mortality outcomes were obtained from vital statistics data through December 31st, 2016 (cumulative follow-up 74,390 person-years).ResultsAmong all cases in our study, including 6,210 youth seen for mental health concerns and 6,210 matched controls, a total of 13 died of suicide (7.5/100,000 person-years) and 33 died of suicide or indeterminate causes (44/100,000 person-years). All-cause mortality was significantly lower among mental health presentations (121.3/100,000 v. 214.5/100,000 person-years; hazard ratio [HR], 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37–0.78). The median time from initial emergency visit to suicide was 5.2 years (interquartile range, 4.2–7.3). Among mental health related visits, risk of death by suicide or indeterminate cause was three-fold that of matched controls (HR, 3.05 95%CI, 1.37–6.77).ConclusionsWhile youth seeking emergency mental health care are at increased risk of death by unnatural causes, their overall mortality risk is lower than non–mental health controls. The protracted duration from initial presentation to suicide highlights the need for long-term surveillance and preventative care for youth seen in the ED for all mental health concerns.

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Mental health concerns of undergraduate and graduate students: Depression, anxiety, eating concerns, and substance misuse

10.31234/osf.io/fgb8q ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Joshua Jason Matacotta

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Misuse ◽

Counseling Services ◽

Supportive Services ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Eating Concerns ◽

College Population ◽

History Of ◽

Self Harm ◽

Mental Health Concerns

This study investigated mental health concerns reported by undergraduate and graduate college students attending a public university. The sample consisted of 1,451 students seeking counseling services with an average age of 23.6 years. The results show that depression, anxiety, eating concerns, and substance misuse are the most cited mental health concerns impacting academics and overall wellbeing. Data reveal other factors contributing to mental health concerns in the college population. Among these are history of self-harm behaviors or suicide, experiences of trauma, and uncertainty about or delay in accessing supportive services.

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