Effects of psychedelic drug use on neurocognitive function and the psychological and social domains of quality of life: an international online study.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- 2Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- 3Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
- 4Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Clinic Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- 5Yale University School of Medicine, The Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States.
Abstract
Background
The past few decades have seen a revived interest in psychedelic-assisted and ketamine-assisted therapy for mental health disorders, but data concerning the acute, subacute, and long-term effects of serotonergic psychedelics on cognitive functioning are scarce. This international, online study (N = 759) sought to investigate the potential acute, subacute, and long-term effects of psychedelic drug use on cognition through cognitive task assessment. Questionnaires assessing mental health and quality of life were also administered.Methods
Participants completed cognitive tasks assessing working memory, selective attention, and visual/spatial perception, as well as questionnaires assessing mental health outcomes and quality of life. Based on self-reported substance use, participants were classified as non-users, lifetime users, and recent users.Results
Recent users had significantly lower accuracy across all cognitive tasks, and lifetime users had the highest task accuracy without corresponding reaction time deficits, with the exception of the 2D mental rotation task. Lifetime use was not associated with long-term cognitive decline. Recent users reported more depressive and dissociative symptoms, whereas lifetime users reported lower scores. Lifetime users scored lower on psychological and social quality of life domains, indicating possible long-term psychosocial effects.Conclusions
These findings highlight the need to differentiate between the acute and long-term effects of psychedelics; lab-controlled, longitudinal studies are needed to enable safe clinical application.
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BibTeX
@article{stadler2026effects,
title = {{Effects of psychedelic drug use on neurocognitive function and the psychological and social domains of quality of life: an international online study.}},
author = {Franziska Stadler and Johan Saelens and Ioline D Henter and Nathalie M Rieser and Maximillian S Greenwald and Elizabeth D Ballard and Katrin H Preller and Carlos A Zarate and Christoph Kraus},
journal = {Frontiers in psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1843186},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42851356},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of psychedelic drug use on neurocognitive function and the psychological and social domains of quality of life: an international online study.
AU - Franziska Stadler
AU - Johan Saelens
AU - Ioline D Henter
AU - Nathalie M Rieser
AU - Maximillian S Greenwald
AU - Elizabeth D Ballard
AU - Katrin H Preller
AU - Carlos A Zarate
AU - Christoph Kraus
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
JO - Frontiers in psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1843186
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42851356
AB - Background The past few decades have seen a revived interest in psychedelic-assisted and ketamine-assisted therapy for mental health disorders, but data concerning the acute, subacute, and long-term effects of serotonergic psychedelics on cognitive functioning are scarce. This international, online study (N = 759) sought to investigate the potential acute, subacute, and long-term effects of psychedelic drug use on cognition through cognitive task assessment. Questionnaires assessing mental health and quality of life were also administered.Methods Participants completed cognitive tasks assessing working memory, selective attention, and visual/spatial perception, as well as questionnaires assessing mental health outcomes and quality of life. Based on self-reported substance use, participants were classified as non-users, lifetime users, and recent users.Results Recent users had significantly lower accuracy across all cognitive tasks, and lifetime users had the highest task accuracy without corresponding reaction time deficits, with the exception of the 2D mental rotation task. Lifetime use was not associated with long-term cognitive decline. Recent users reported more depressive and dissociative symptoms, whereas lifetime users reported lower scores. Lifetime users scored lower on psychological and social quality of life domains, indicating possible long-term psychosocial effects.Conclusions These findings highlight the need to differentiate between the acute and long-term effects of psychedelics; lab-controlled, longitudinal studies are needed to enable safe clinical application.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -