Buonarroti, Matteo, Dal Bianco, Beatrice, Lo Jacono, Alessandro, Fesce, Fabio, Jelmoni, Alice, Cicchi, Lucia, Anastasi, Andrea, Rossi, Eugenio, D'Alonzo, Mauro, Gelao, Alessandro, Bartoli, Caterina, Syed, Omer Ahmed, Nicholas, Christopher, Luke, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2141-2453, Greenway, Kyle, Gloeckler, Sara, De La Salle, Sara, Bernstein, Kobi, Feduccia, Allison, Lehmann, Alexandre, Aday, Jacob S., Lake, Stephanie, Kruger, Daniel and Lucas, Philippe (2026) Patterns of psychedelic use in Italy: insights from the Global Psychedelic Survey. Clinical Neuropsychopharmacology and Addiction (CNA), 2 (3):12. pp. 1-31. ISSN 3083-5070 (Online) (doi:10.53941/cna.2026.100012)

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Abstract

Background: Epidemiological data on psychedelic use in Italy is limited. In this study, Italian responders in the Global Psychedelic Survey 2025 were subanalyzed to describe patterns of use, motivations, subjective experiences, and health correlates. Methods: Adults (≥21 years) with lifetime psychedelic exposure, residing in or born in Italy or San Marino, were surveyed in a web-based, crosssectional design. Descriptive analyses examined sociodemographics, substance use histories, motivations, intense experiences, changes in other substance use, and healthcare engagement. Results: Among 731 participants (mean age 37.4 ± 11.3 years; 59.8% male; 70.0% urban), 90.1% reported lifetime regular-dose psychedelic use, most commonly psilocybin (77.3%), MDMA (69.5%), LSD (67.0%), and ketamine (46.3%). Polysubstance exposure was common, with 83.3% reporting use of ≥2 psychedelics. Lifetime alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine use exceeded 90%, and 36.0% reported a substance-related problem. Past-year psychedelic use was reported by 76.7%, with the majority using once to a few times per year. 58.4% reported lifetime microdosing. Motivations were predominantly non-clinical. Intense experiences were often rated positive or mixed. Self-reported reductions in alcohol (45.9%) and tobacco (34.9%) were frequent. Conclusions: These findings provide the first large-scale characterization of psychedelic use patterns among a highly engaged Italian-affiliated psychedelic community. Patterns of consumption were generally intermittent, often embedded within polysubstance use contexts, and were primarily motivated by personal growth. Although many respondents reported positive experiences and reductions in other substance use, these observations require confirmation in longitudinal research.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. It was developed by a consortium of academic researchers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and deployed between 1 May and 21 May 2025. The study was reviewed by the Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board at the University of Michigan (IRB-HSBS; protocol code HUM00268282; exemption determination date: 3 February 2025) and was deemed exempt from ongoing IRB review under Exemption 2(i) and/or 2(ii) at 45 CFR 46.104(d).
Uncontrolled Keywords:	psychedelics, polysubstance use, epidemiology, harm reduction, Italy, global psychedelic survey
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General) R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Mental Health Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Related URLs:	Publisher
Last Modified:	02 Sep 2026 15:28
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/54325

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