Khat and mushrooms associated with psychosis
Roman J Nielen, Frank Mma van der Heijden, S. Tuinier, W.m.a. Verhoeven
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry January 1, 2004 DOI: 10.1080/15622970410029908 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractTwo cases of khat-induced psychosis and two of psilocybin-induced psychosis are described. Khat-induced psychotic symptoms resolved without treatment within one week. One psilocybin-induced psychosis patient was treated with risperidone; the other's symptoms subsided in a few days. No somatic medical complications occurred. The paper stresses adequate psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, negative social consequences of drug use, and the need to distinguish these from functional psychoses, especially in patients with psychiatric comorbidity.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case series with literature review Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | Male patients with khat- or psilocybin-induced psychosis |
| Keywords | Psychosis Traditional medicine Psychology Psychiatry |
| Citations | 42 |
| Key finding | Khat- and psilocybin-induced psychoses can resolve without treatment or with short-term antipsychotic medication, with no somatic complications, but require careful diagnosis and attention to social consequences. |
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This paper describes two cases with khat- and two with psilocybin-induced psychoses and draws attention to the medical and social consequences of the use of these drugs. METHOD: Two male patients are presented who developed relapsing and short-lasting psychotic episodes after chewing kath leaves. In addition, two male patients are reported who showed an acute exacerbation of psychosis after ingestion of psilocybin mushrooms. In addition, a review of the literature is presented. RESULTS: The khat-induced psychotic symptoms disappeared without any treatment within one week. One of the patients with a psilocybin-induced psychosis was treated with risperidone. In the other, symptomatology subsided in a few days. No somatic medical complications occurred. CONCLUSION: Adequate psychiatric diagnosis and treatment of the psychoses and the negative social consequences of the use of these drugs are stressed as well as the delineation from functional psychoses in cases of chronic use. The latter applies to patients with psychiatric comorbidity in particular.