TY - JOUR
T1 - The use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in young people and their role in mental health care
T2 - a systematic review
AU - Orsolini, Laura
AU - Chiappini, Stephania
AU - Corkery, John
AU - Guirguis, Amira
AU - Papanti, Duccio
AU - Schifano, Fabrizio
N1 - © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Accepted for publication in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 09/09/2019.
PY - 2019/12/2
Y1 - 2019/12/2
N2 - Introduction: Over the past 10 years, a large number of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) have entered the recreational drug scenario. NPS intake has been associated with health-related risks, and especially so for vulnerable populations such as the youngsters. Currently, most knowledge on the NPS health effects is learnt from both a range of users’ reports, made available through the psychonauts’ web fora, and from the few published, related toxicity, clinical observations. Areas covered: This paper aims at providing an overview of NPS effects on youngsters’ mental health, whilst performing a systematic review of the current related knowledge. Expert opinion: NPS consumption poses serious health risks, due to both a range of unpredictable clinical pharmacological properties and the typical concomitant use of other psychoactive molecules; overall, this can lead to near misses and fatalities. In comparison with adults, the central nervous system of children/adolescents may be more vulnerable to the activity of these molecules, hence raising even further the levels of health-related concerns. More research is needed to provide evidence of both short- and long-term effects of NPS, related health risks, and their addiction potential.
AB - Introduction: Over the past 10 years, a large number of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) have entered the recreational drug scenario. NPS intake has been associated with health-related risks, and especially so for vulnerable populations such as the youngsters. Currently, most knowledge on the NPS health effects is learnt from both a range of users’ reports, made available through the psychonauts’ web fora, and from the few published, related toxicity, clinical observations. Areas covered: This paper aims at providing an overview of NPS effects on youngsters’ mental health, whilst performing a systematic review of the current related knowledge. Expert opinion: NPS consumption poses serious health risks, due to both a range of unpredictable clinical pharmacological properties and the typical concomitant use of other psychoactive molecules; overall, this can lead to near misses and fatalities. In comparison with adults, the central nervous system of children/adolescents may be more vulnerable to the activity of these molecules, hence raising even further the levels of health-related concerns. More research is needed to provide evidence of both short- and long-term effects of NPS, related health risks, and their addiction potential.
KW - NPS
KW - mental health
KW - novel psychoactive substances
KW - youngsters
KW - ‘legal highs’
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85073939227&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14737175.2019.1666712
DO - 10.1080/14737175.2019.1666712
M3 - Review article
SN - 1473-7175
VL - 19
SP - 1253
EP - 1264
JO - Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
JF - Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
IS - 12
ER -