PsyArXiv
Non-medical use of nitrous oxide – a systematic review of motivational drives
Par Thomas Riemer, Anna E. Schütze, Klara Greisiger et 1 autres.
Contenu en anglais
Résumé
Introduction
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a psychoactive substance with euphoric and mildly hallucinogenic effects and a variety of medical applications. Non-medical use of N2O is widespread and in recent years, there has been a significant increase across the world. To investigate potential drivers of this increase, this review summarizes the current state of research on use motives for N2O use.
Methods
A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PubPsych, PsycInfo, and PsycArticles including quantitative and qualitative reports published up to March 28th, 2026. Qualitative reports were coded according to the five-factor model of substance use motives assigning material to the dimensions of enhancement, coping, expansion, conformity, social and other motives.