Summary: Microdosing psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin is associated with reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety and with improved overall wellbeing.
Source: University of British Columbia
An international team led by researchers at UBC Okanagan reports that repeated, low-dose use of psychedelics—commonly called microdosing—may offer meaningful relief for people experiencing anxiety and depression.
Published in Scientific Reports, the study analyzed self-reported data from thousands of participants and found that individuals who microdosed reported fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, and higher levels of wellbeing compared with those who did not microdose.
Microdosing refers to the routine self-administration of sub-perceptual amounts of psychedelic substances that do not disrupt normal cognitive function. The study is the largest published investigation of psychedelic microdosing to date and provides a broad, descriptive look at patterns, motivations and mental health correlates among people who microdose.
UBCO doctoral student and lead author Joseph Rootman explains that the study followed more than 8,500 people across 75 countries using an anonymous mobile reporting platform. Roughly half of the participants reported following a microdosing regimen while the other half did not. “Comparing microdosers and non-microdosers, we observed a clear association between microdosing and lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress,” Rootman says. “These findings are important given how widespread mental health conditions are and how much they affect people’s lives.”
This research also provides the first systematic examination of “stacking,” a practice in which people combine microdoses of psychedelics with other substances such as niacin, Lion’s Mane mushroom supplements or cacao, which some users believe enhance the effects. The study describes diverse dosing schedules, frequencies and stacking strategies reported by participants.
Dr. Zach Walsh, a psychology professor in UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and a co-investigator on the project, emphasizes the clinical relevance of these findings. “Many adults are experimenting with microdosing not to get high but to manage mental health symptoms and improve wellbeing,” he says. “We face an ongoing mental health crisis and current treatments do not work for everyone. Observational research that follows where patients are already taking initiative can guide future clinical studies and help reduce suffering.”
Kalin Harvey, chief technology officer of the mobile research platform Quantified Citizen and a study co-author, highlights the value of citizen science approaches. Because legal and social barriers make laboratory research on illicit substances challenging, mobile platforms and anonymous self-reporting can provide important real-world data on behaviors that are otherwise difficult to study.
The study found that psilocybin was the most commonly reported microdosed substance, used by 85% of microdosers in the sample. Demographically, microdosers resembled non-microdosers, though they were more likely to report a history of mental health concerns. Among participants who reported such concerns, people who microdosed indicated lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress across genders. Across the board, health and wellness motives were the most frequently cited reasons for microdosing, particularly among women and among those with prior mental health issues.
Dr. Walsh stresses that while these cross-sectional results are encouraging, they are not conclusive evidence of causation. He calls for more rigorous, longitudinal research to determine how variables such as dose, frequency, and stacking influence outcomes, and to better understand the potential benefits and risks of microdosing for mental health.
The broader context for this work is the persistent burden of mental illness: organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association estimate that one in five people experience a mental health problem each year. New research directions, including both clinical trials of higher-dose psychedelics and observational studies of microdosing, can help expand treatment options for those who do not respond to existing therapies.
About this psychopharmacology research news
Author: Press Office
Source: University of British Columbia
Contact: Press Office – University of British Columbia
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Original Research: Open access. “Adults who microdose psychedelics report health related motivations and lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-microdosers” by Joseph M. Rootman et al., Scientific Reports.
Abstract
Adults who microdose psychedelics report health related motivations and lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-microdosers
The use of sub-perceptual “microdoses” of psychedelic substances has attracted attention for potential benefits to wellbeing and cognition. This study characterizes microdosing practices, motivations and mental health among self-selected microdosers (n = 4,050) and non-microdosers (n = 4,653) using a mobile application.
Psilocybin was the predominant substance reported for microdosing. Participants described varied dosing amounts and schedules as well as the practice of stacking—combining psilocybin with non-psychedelic supplements such as Lion’s Mane, cacao and niacin. Microdosers and non-microdosers were similar demographically, but microdosers more often reported prior mental health concerns. Among those reporting mental health issues, microdosers reported lower depression, anxiety and stress scores. Health and wellness motives were the leading reasons for microdosing, particularly among women and those with mental health histories.
These findings point to perceived mental health benefits of microdosing and underscore the need for more rigorous, longitudinal and controlled studies to determine causality, assess optimal dosing strategies, and evaluate long-term safety and effectiveness.