{"id":246073,"date":"2025-08-12T15:36:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T13:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/?p=246073"},"modified":"2025-08-12T15:37:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T13:37:00","slug":"how-psychedelics-protected-users-mental-health-during-the-covid-19-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/et\/blog\/how-psychedelics-protected-users-mental-health-during-the-covid-19-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"How Psychedelics Protected User’s Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

A huge new study from the UK, involving over 240,000 people, has uncovered an unexpected trend<\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people who used both psychedelics and cannabis saw their symptoms of anxiety and depression improve over time. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of the study, their mental health looked about the same as people who\u2019d never taken illicit drugs at all. This finding, published in the Ps\u00fchhofarmakoloogia ajakiri<\/a><\/em>, stands out because most other drug-using groups actually saw their mental health worsen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychedelics: A Refresher<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


Psychedelics are mind-altering substances that can change how you perceive the world, think, and feel. Classic examples include psilots\u00fcbiin<\/a> (found in magic mushrooms)<\/em>, LSD, and DMT. They\u2019re known for producing intense experiences\u2014vivid visuals, shifts in thought patterns, and altered self-awareness. Unlike alcohol or cannabis, they\u2019re often used less frequently, sometimes in settings meant for reflection or emotional insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past decade, researchers have been increasingly interested in psychedelics as potential treatments for serious mental health issues like depression, PTSD, and addiction. While some small studies have suggested they might help people cope with stress or bounce back emotionally, there\u2019s been little large-scale, real-world data. Until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Foto: engin akyurt on Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pandemic Pressures and Coping Strategies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n


When COVID-19 hit, life changed dramatically, and mental health took a hit worldwide. Some people drank more, others turned to cannabis or psychedelics, while overall drug use patterns shifted. But most research during this time focused on alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis, lumping all other substances together. That meant little was known about how different drugs (like psychedelics)<\/em> might relate to mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where this new research comes in. Led by Maria B\u0103l\u0103e\u0163<\/strong>, now head of the Altered States, Evolution and Technology Laboratory (ASET LAB) at King\u2019s College London, the study used data from the Great British Intelligence Test<\/strong>: a BBC-supported citizen science project exploring lifestyle, cognition, and health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between December 2019 and early 2022, more than 240,000 people took part. Of those, around 68,000 completed follow-ups in December 2020, June 2021, and January 2022. Researchers tracked mental health using adapted versions of the PHQ-9<\/a> and GAD-7 (standard measures for depression and anxiety),<\/em> and participants also reported which drugs they used. This ranged from cannabis and cocaine to psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Psilocybin mushrooms (via Creative Commons)<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Using a statistical method called k-modes clustering<\/strong>, the team identified six main groups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n