Artists and psychoactive substances use

It is a well-established common notion that artists appear to use and abuse psychoactive substances more frequently and heavily than non-artists. The purpose of this study was to investigate if this holds true. The sample consisted of 118 participants, both artists and non-artists. They were asked to complete the ASSIST questionnaire, developed by the World Health Organization, that includes closed questions on substance use along with an additional questionnaire on demographic characteristics. The questionnaires were posted online in a digital platform. The artists scored significantly higher on substance use than the other professionals. Women reported less psychoactive substance use compared to men. The results confirmed the study hypothesis, in line with previous research findings. The number of similar studies in the international literature is limited. Our results are particularly useful but due to significant limitations of this study further investigation is suggested, as well as further examination of the causes of the phenomenon.