The Relationship between the Recreational Use of Hallucinogens and Major Depression

by

Faculty Sponsor: Robert Kabacoff

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link

Rex Hechter

Rex is a Sophomore from Manhattan, NY. He is double majoring in The College of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Psychology. Campus affiliations include TERPSICHORE director and choreographer, Fray Magazine, and ASHA (Adolescent Sexual Health Awareness). Rex’s interests reside in bioethics research, specifically the intersection between psychopharmacology and technology. He is also an undergraduate TA for Global Change and Infectious Disease. His project focuses on the recreational use of hallucinogens and their association with major depression.

Abstract: As DSM categories continue to broaden and psychologists understand major depression better, experimental treatment options are growing more expansive. The clinical use of hallucinogens like psilocybin and ketamine has shown promising results in improving symptoms of mental disorders like major depression (Artin et al., 2021). Psilocybin therapy is used in clinical research as a form of treatment for patients who experience major depression and show little improvement on antidepressants or other forms of psychotherapy. The goals of this analysis include establishing a relationship between the use of hallucinogens in a non-clinical, recreational setting and major depression. The analysis will also include an analysis of the association between hallucinogen use and major depression and gender.

QAC201-Poster-Rex-Hechter