MDMA/ecstasy use and psilocybin use are associated with lowered odds of psychological distress and suicidal thoughts in a sample of US adults.

BackgroundSuicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and rates within the United States have risen over the past two decades. Hence, there is a critical need for novel tools to treat suicidal ideation and related mental health conditions. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)/ecstasy and classic psychedelics may be two such tools.AimsThe aim of this study was to assess non-causal associations between MDMA/ecstasy and classic psychedelic use and psychological distress and suicide risk.MethodsIn this study, we examined the aforementioned associations among 484,732 adult participants in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2019).ResultsLifetime MDMA/ecstasy use was associated with reduced odds of past year suicidal thinking (10% reduced odds; odds ratio (OR) = 0.90; 95% confidence interval, CI = (0.84-0.97); p