Personality changes following first-time psychedelic use in college students in Germany

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Psychopharmacology

Background:

• Longitudinal data on personality changes from first-time psychedelic use in non-clinical settings is scarce.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for assessing the broader impact of psychedelic substances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate personality trait changes in first-time psychedelic users compared to never-users over one year.
• To explore potential moderating factors, such as psychiatric diagnoses, on these personality changes.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study followed 102 first-time psychedelic users and 1066 never-users (university students in Berlin) for one year.
• Personality was measured using the Big Five Inventory at baseline and follow-up.
• Linear mixed-effects models were employed to analyze personality changes, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

• First-time psychedelic users exhibited small increases in Openness and decreases in Conscientiousness.
• These trends persisted after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, though attenuated.
• No significant difference in personality change was observed compared to first-time users of other illicit substances.
• Individuals with psychiatric diagnoses showed greater reductions in Neuroticism.

Conclusions:

• First-time psychedelic use is associated with subtle shifts in personality traits.
• The observed changes are modest and their causal link to psychedelics is limited, especially when compared to other substance use.
• Psychiatric status may influence the extent of personality changes, particularly regarding Neuroticism.