Experts warn of mental health risks after rise in magic mushroom use

While clinical trials show promising results, evidence suggests taking psilocybin outside these environments can lead to anxiety, trauma, insomnia, continued visual distortion and feelings of depersonalisation. Photograph: Nigel Dodds/Alamy

Magic mushrooms are rapidly growing in popularity, sparking a “psychedelic renaissance” as people become more interested in their mental health benefits. But experts have warned that using them recreationally risks doing more harm than good.

Trials exploring psilocybin as a groundbreaking treatment for mental health conditions has spawned a proliferation of psychedelic companies and retreats in countries where they are legal, while more people are buying the drug, which is class A in the UK, on the hidden market.

The latest Office for National Statistics data shows that psilocybin was the only illegal drug that grew in popularity in 2024, increasing by 37.5% to reach 1.1% of 16- to 59-year-olds, representing about 300,000 people and making the drug nearly as popular as ecstasy.