Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38702496›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2024

Personality traits explain the relationship between psychedelic use and less depression in a comparative study.

David K Sjöström, Emma Claesdotter-Knutsson, Petri J Kajonius

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Speech markers of psychological change following a psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT retreat.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

David K SjöströmChild and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Emma Claesdotter-KnutssonChild and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Petri J KajoniusDepartment of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. petri.kajonius@psy.lu.se.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Interest in psychedelics is increasing due to the potential for improved mental health and quality of life. However, adverse effects on mental health are still a concern. Personality traits have been suggested to both influence the psychedelic experience and mental health, and even be changed by psychedelic use. The present study describes for the first time a national sample of Swedish psychedelic users (n = 400) compared to a sex and age-matched control-group of non-users (n = 400) regarding mental health variables (depression, insomnia, problematic alcohol and drug use, and dissociation) and personality (Big Five). Data was collected in an online survey including individuals from 16 years of age who had at least one psychedelic experience. The main results reported psychedelic users as less depressed (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; PHQ-9) (d = - 0.29) and having more use of drugs (Drug Use Disorders Identification Test; DUDIT) (d = 1.27). In the Big Five personality traits, openness differed notably (d = 1.72), and the between-group effects in PHQ-9 were explained by lower neuroticism. Our findings reveal that psychedelic users report less depression and higher drug use, and this is partly due to personality traits. These results have implications on how we view psychedelic users and the use of psychedelic drugs.

Indexed as

DepressionHallucinogensPersonalityAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleMental HealthMiddle AgedQuality of LifeSubstance-Related DisordersSurveys and QuestionnairesSwedenYoung AdultHallucinogensDrug useMental healthPersonality traitsPsychedelics

Identifiers

PMID38702496
PMCPMC11068892

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.