The Need for Psychiatric Treatment among Polish Users of Psychoactive Substances Is Increasing: This and Other Results from the Newest PolDrugs Survey
Abstract
:1. Background and Objectives
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Survey
2.2. Data Collection
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Limitations
6. Conclusions
- The use of hallucinogenic mushrooms and DMT is increasing, which, combined with the widespread presence of the topic of psychedelics in the media, suggests that research and public education in this area should be among the priorities of public health efforts.
- The percentage of people who vaporize tobacco is increasing, while the percentage of people who smoke traditional cigarettes is decreasing, which means that this phenomenon should be closely monitored for possible negative effects on human health.
- In the group of psychoactive substance users, the percentage of people seeking psychiatric help has almost doubled in the last two years; this is an issue that needs to be studied in order to determine the causes of this phenomenon.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variables | n | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Age | 13–17 | 34 | 3.0 |
18–24 | 469 | 42.0 | |
25–30 | 321 | 28.8 | |
31–40 | 235 | 21.0 | |
41–62 | 58 | 5.2 | |
Gender | Male | 536 | 48.0 |
Female | 561 | 50.2 | |
Other | 20 | 1.8 | |
Sexual Orientation | Heterosexual | 807 | 72.2 |
Homosexual | 65 | 5.8 | |
Bisexual | 212 | 19.0 | |
Other | 33 | 3.0 | |
Relationship Status | Single | 392 | 35.1 |
In an informal relationship | 546 | 48.9 | |
In a formal relationship | 102 | 9.1 | |
In a polyamorous relationship | 34 | 3.0 | |
Divorced | 20 | 1.8 | |
Widower/widowed | 2 | 0.2 | |
Other | 21 | 1.9 | |
Place of Residence | Large city (more than 200,000 inhabitants) | 716 | 64.2 |
Medium city (50,000 to 199,999 inhabitants) | 180 | 16.1 | |
Small city (up to 49,999 inhabitants) | 120 | 10.7 | |
Village | 101 | 9.0 | |
Education | I have a doctorate or higher degree | 22 | 2.0 |
Master’s degree or equivalent | 277 | 24.8 | |
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent | 245 | 21.9 | |
Medium | 506 | 45.3 | |
Middle School | 32 | 2.9 | |
Basic | 35 | 3.1 | |
Profession | Pupil: working | 33 | 3.0 |
Pupil: unemployed | 62 | 5.6 | |
Student: working | 202 | 18.1 | |
Student: unemployed | 130 | 11.6 | |
Full-time employee | 454 | 40.6 | |
Casual worker | 35 | 3.1 | |
Retired or pensioner | 4 | 0.4 | |
Own business | 170 | 15.2 | |
Unemployed | 27 | 2.4 | |
Net Monthly Earnings (EUR 1 = approximately PLN 4.5) | Not applicable | 220 | 19.7 |
Up to PLN 1000 | 39 | 3.5 | |
PLN 1000–2000 | 82 | 7.3 | |
PLN 2000–3000 | 111 | 9.9 | |
PLN 3000–4000 | 174 | 15.6 | |
PLN 4000–5000 | 137 | 12.3 | |
Over PLN 5000 | 354 | 31.7 |
Variables | n | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Are you taking nicotine? | Yes, mostly classic cigarettes | 311 | 27.8 |
Yes, mostly tobacco vaporization (e.g., IQOS or the GLO system) | 172 | 15.4 | |
Yes, mostly e-cigarettes (liquid) | 157 | 14.1 | |
Yes, others | 64 | 5.7 | |
No | 413 | 37.0 | |
Do you use alcohol? | Yes | 907 | 81.2 |
No | 210 | 18.8 | |
How often do you consume alcohol? (n = 907) | Once every few months or less frequently | 70 | 7.7 |
Once a month | 107 | 11.8 | |
2–3 times a month | 248 | 27.4 | |
4–5 times a month | 199 | 21.9 | |
6–8 times a month | 128 | 14.1 | |
9–10 times a month | 58 | 6.4 | |
More than 10 times a month | 97 | 10.7 | |
What type of alcohol do you consume most often? (n = 907) | Beer | 457 | 50.4 |
Cocktails | 112 | 12.3 | |
Wine | 210 | 23.2 | |
Liqueurs, including flavored vodkas | 25 | 2.8 | |
Vodka or other spirits | 93 | 10.3 | |
Other | 10 | 10.1 | |
Have you ever thought about getting help because of your alcohol consumption? (n = 907) | Yes | 117 | 12.9 |
No | 790 | 87.1 |
Variables | n | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Age of first exposure to psychoactive substances | 10–12 | 38 | 3.4 |
13–14 | 198 | 17.7 | |
15–17 | 499 | 44.7 | |
18–21 | 259 | 23.2 | |
22–26 | 88 | 7.9 | |
27–30 | 18 | 1.6 | |
31–40 | 11 | 1.0 | |
41–62 | 6 | 0.5 | |
What substances have you used throughout your life? | Marijuana | 1096 | 98.1 |
MDMA/ecstasy | 834 | 74.7 | |
Hallucinogenic mushrooms | 643 | 57.6 | |
Amphetamine | 641 | 57.4 | |
LSD or other lysergamides | 590 | 52.8 | |
Mephedrone or other synthetic cathinones | 536 | 48.0 | |
Cocaine | 498 | 44.6 | |
Benzodiazepines | 332 | 29.7 | |
Ketamine | 262 | 23.5 | |
Other than those mentioned in the survey | 208 | 18.6 | |
Opioids other than morphine, heroin, and fentanyl | 185 | 16.6 | |
Methamphetamine | 185 | 16.6 | |
DMT or plants containing DMT | 169 | 15.1 | |
Synthetic cannabinoids | 132 | 11.8 | |
Alkyl nitrites (“poppers”) | 131 | 11.7 | |
Morphine | 71 | 6.4 | |
Mescaline | 31 | 2.8 | |
Benzofurans | 23 | 2.1 | |
Heroin | 21 | 1.9 | |
Fentanyl | 18 | 1.6 | |
Aminorexes | 3 | 0.3 | |
What substances have you consumed in the past 12 months? | Marijuana | 963 | 86.2 |
MDMA/ecstasy | 587 | 52.6 | |
Hallucinogenic mushrooms | 469 | 42.0 | |
LSD or other lysergamides | 360 | 32.2 | |
Amphetamine | 356 | 31.9 | |
Mephedrone or other synthetic cathinones | 343 | 30.7 | |
Cocaine | 284 | 25.4 | |
Benzodiazepines | 164 | 14.7 | |
Ketamine | 126 | 11.3 | |
Other than those mentioned in the survey | 96 | 8.6 | |
Methamphetamine | 87 | 7.8 | |
DMT or plants containing DMT | 75 | 6.7 | |
Opioids other than morphine, heroin, and fentanyl | 73 | 6.5 | |
Alkyl nitrites (“poppers”) | 45 | 4.0 | |
Morphine | 21 | 1.9 | |
Synthetic cannabinoids | 20 | 1.8 | |
Fentanyl | 9 | 0.8 | |
Mescaline | 8 | 0.7 | |
Benzofurans | 7 | 0.6 | |
Heroin | 6 | 0.5 | |
Aminorexes | 0 | 0.0 | |
How often do you use psychoactive substances other than alcohol? | Once every few months or less frequently | 390 | 34.9 |
Once a month | 190 | 17.0 | |
2–3 times a month | 158 | 14.2 | |
4–5 times a month | 75 | 6.7 | |
6–8 times a month | 56 | 5.0 | |
9–10 times a month | 35 | 3.1 | |
More than 10 times a month | 213 | 19.1 | |
Who do you use substances with most often? | By yourself | 225 | 20.2 |
With a partner | 251 | 22.5 | |
With family | 10 | 0.9 | |
With friends | 607 | 54.3 | |
Other than the above | 24 | 2.1 | |
Where do you use psychoactive substances most often? | At home | 531 | 47.5 |
At someone’s home | 269 | 24.2 | |
In clubs | 122 | 10.9 | |
In bars | 8 | 0.7 | |
At music festivals | 64 | 5.7 | |
Outdoors (forests, meadows) | 123 | 11.0 | |
Where do you buy your psychoactive substances most often? | From friends | 641 | 57.4 |
From a dealer or from strangers at music festivals/clubs or bars | 220 | 19.7 | |
Via the darknet (Tor) | 54 | 4.8 | |
Other options not included in the survey | 202 | 18.1 | |
Do you test your psychoactive substances with colorimetric reagents or send them to a lab for testing? | No, never | 866 | 77.5 |
Sometimes | 205 | 18.4 | |
Yes, always | 46 | 4.1 | |
How much do you spend on psychoactive substances in a month? | Up to PLN 100 | 466 | 41.7 |
PLN 100–200 | 165 | 14.8 | |
PLN 200–300 | 115 | 10.4 | |
PLN 300–400 | 83 | 7.4 | |
More than PLN 500 | 101 | 9.0 | |
I don’t spend money, I get it from someone | 187 | 16.7 | |
Do you measure the doses of your psychoactive substances? | Yes, always | 424 | 38.0 |
Sometimes | 160 | 14.3 | |
Mostly by visual observation (“eyeballing”) | 457 | 40.9 | |
Never | 76 | 6.8 | |
Do you educate yourself about the safety and use of psychoactive substances? (e.g., academic articles, NGOs, influencer channels) | Yes | 1035 | 92.7 |
No | 82 | 7.3 | |
Have you ever been in trouble with the law because of your use of psychoactive substances? | Yes | 101 | 9.0 |
No | 1016 | 91.0 | |
Have you ever neglected your daily responsibilities (work, study, family life) due to using psychoactive substances? | No, never | 578 | 51.7 |
Yes, once | 105 | 9.4 | |
Yes, several times | 378 | 33.9 | |
Yes, it happens to me often | 56 | 5.0 |
Variable | n | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Have you thought about seeking professional help for your psychoactive substance use? | Yes | 195 | 17.5 |
No | 922 | 82.5 | |
Have you ever sought medical help shortly after taking psychoactive substances? (e.g., for acute poisoning) | Yes | 72 | 6.4 |
No | 1045 | 93.6 | |
After taking which substance did you seek medical help? | Amphetamine | 17 | 23.6 |
Mephedrone or other synthetic cathinones | 14 | 19.4 | |
I don’t know what substance I took | 12 | 16.7 | |
Marijuana | 12 | 16.7 | |
Opioids other than morphine, heroin, and fentanyl | 9 | 12.5 | |
MDMA/ecstasy | 8 | 11.1 | |
Benzodiazepines | 8 | 11.1 | |
LSD or other lysergamides | 6 | 8.3 | |
Cocaine | 6 | 8.3 | |
Heroin | 3 | 4.2 | |
Fentanyl | 3 | 4.2 | |
Morphine | 2 | 2.8 | |
Synthetic cannabinoids | 2 | 2.8 | |
Hallucinogenic mushrooms | 2 | 2.8 | |
Methamphetamine | 1 | 1.4 | |
Ketamine | 1 | 1.4 | |
Alkyl nitrites (“poppers”) | 1 | 1.4 |
Variable | n | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Have you received psychiatric treatment? | Yes | 466 | 41.7 |
No | 651 | 58.3 | |
For what reason? For different diagnoses, please mark the first one that was made. (n = 466) | Depressive disorders | 239 | 51.3 |
Anxiety disorders | 83 | 17.9 | |
ADHD | 30 | 6.4 | |
Personality disorders | 29 | 6.2 | |
Other | 25 | 5.4 | |
Bipolar affective disorder | 22 | 4.7 | |
Addiction | 15 | 3.2 | |
Insomnia | 10 | 2.1 | |
Adaptive disorders | 9 | 1.9 | |
Schizophrenia | 4 | 0.9 | |
Where did the treatment take place? (n = 466) | Private practice | 344 | 73.8 |
Mental health clinic | 160 | 34.3 | |
Addiction treatment clinic | 37 | 7.9 | |
Psychiatric ward closed | 60 | 12.9 | |
Psychiatric day ward | 33 | 7.1 | |
Other | 16 | 3.4 | |
Have you ever made any suicide attempts? (n = 466) | Yes, once | 82 | 17.6 |
Yes, several times | 89 | 19.1 | |
No | 295 | 63.3 | |
Did your use of psychoactive substances precede your first visit to a psychiatrist? (n = 466) | Yes | 295 | 63.3 |
No | 171 | 36.7 | |
Did the psychiatrist ask about the psychoactive substances used during the interview? (n = 466) | Yes | 348 | 74.7 |
No | 118 | 25.3 | |
When going to a psychiatrist, would you tell the truth about the psychoactive substances used? | Yes, always | 383 | 34.3 |
Rather yes, if the doctor inspired my confidence | 592 | 53.0 | |
No, I’m afraid of the legal consequences | 40 | 3.6 | |
No, I’m afraid of being judged | 36 | 3.2 | |
No, I don’t want to have anything “in the papers” | 41 | 3.7 | |
No, for other reasons | 25 | 2.2 |
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Share and Cite
Więckiewicz, G.; Marek, J.; Stokłosa, I.; Szafoni, S.; Pluta, S.; Smukowska, K.; Żebrowska, G.; Stokłosa, M.; Gorczyca, P.; Pudlo, R. The Need for Psychiatric Treatment among Polish Users of Psychoactive Substances Is Increasing: This and Other Results from the Newest PolDrugs Survey. Medicina 2023, 59, 908. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59050908
Więckiewicz G, Marek J, Stokłosa I, Szafoni S, Pluta S, Smukowska K, Żebrowska G, Stokłosa M, Gorczyca P, Pudlo R. The Need for Psychiatric Treatment among Polish Users of Psychoactive Substances Is Increasing: This and Other Results from the Newest PolDrugs Survey. Medicina. 2023; 59(5):908. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59050908
Chicago/Turabian StyleWięckiewicz, Gniewko, Julia Marek, Iga Stokłosa, Sandra Szafoni, Szymon Pluta, Katarzyna Smukowska, Gabriela Żebrowska, Maciej Stokłosa, Piotr Gorczyca, and Robert Pudlo. 2023. "The Need for Psychiatric Treatment among Polish Users of Psychoactive Substances Is Increasing: This and Other Results from the Newest PolDrugs Survey" Medicina 59, no. 5: 908. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59050908