Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent hallucinogen known for its psychoactive effects. While LSD was initially studied for psychiatric treatment, research declined after its classification as a Schedule I substance in the United States (US). Recently, there's been a resurgence in LSD research for mental health treatment. A recent cross-sectional study examined trends in nonmedical use of LSD and its association with major depression among US adults from 2008 to 2019 using nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH; N=478,492). A significant increase in past-year LSD use from 0.2% to 0.9% over the study period was found. Notably, this increase was more pronounced among adults with depression (0.5% to 1.8%). Young adults (18–34 years) with depression experienced the highest increase, reaching 4.9% in 2019. The findings suggest a potential self-medication trend, as those with depression may be turning to LSD for relief. Factors like decreased risk perception and increased media coverage of psychedelics may contribute to this trend. However, use of LSD, particularly in unsupervised settings where dosing is not monitored, can lead to acute physical effects (e.g., hypertension, tachycardia, increased body temperature, body tremors). Future research should delve into dose, frequency, and reasons for use, as well as compare trends in LSD use with other substances. Overall, this study calls for continued monitoring of LSD use trends, especially among those with depression.

Reference:

Walsh CA et al. JAMA Psychiatry 2023;e233867. Abstract