DENVER — A new survey from Denver Health's Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety found that 5.3% of U.S. adults — approximately 13.9 million people — used a psychedelic substance in the last year, with many reporting perceived improvements to their mental health.
The 2025 survey tracked usage across 13 psychedelic substances. Psilocybin was the most commonly used, with an estimated 7.8 million adults, or 2.9%, reporting use in the last year — up from 2.1% in 2024. MDMA was estimated to be used by 4.2 million adults, prescription ketamine or esketamine by 3.3 million, and LSD by 2.6 million.
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Most people reported using the drugs for recreation.
While half of those who used psilocybin perceived an improvement in their mental health, 72.6% also reported at least one side effect.
Researchers make clear that the findings do not establish that these substances are effective treatments.
Kari Rockhill of Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety said the results reflect a broader cultural shift, but cautioned that more research is needed.
"I think there's growing public interest in psychedelics. I also know that there are plenty of clinical trials right now that are looking at psychedelics' effects on mental health and also around things like addiction. I think there's a really beautiful space where these could fit one day in our medical care system, but we're not there yet, and there's still a lot to learn around these psychedelics."
The report encourages health care providers to ask patients about specific substances, rather than relying on broad terms, and to familiarize themselves with the risks and benefits of individual drugs.
Rockhill said that knowledge could be critical for patient care.
"Educating themselves on drug interactions, the risks and the benefits of these drugs could be really important to help patients make informed decisions about what's best for them," Rockhill said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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