Scientific Reports
November 18, 2021
Joseph M. Rootman, Pamela Kryskow, Kalin Harvey et al.
78 citations
Among self-selected users of a mobile app, people who microdose psychedelics (mostly psilocybin, 85%) were similar demographically to non-microdosers but more often reported a history of mental health concerns. Within that group, microdosers had lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress across genders. Health and wellness motives were the most common reasons for microdosing, especially among women and those with mental health concerns. The findings highlight a need for rigorous longitudinal research on microdosing's mental health effects.
Scientific Reports
June 30, 2022
Joseph M. Rootman, Maggie Kiraga, Pamela Kryskow et al.
53 citations
A naturalistic observational study followed 953 people who microdosed psilocybin (taking small, non-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelic mushrooms) and 180 non-microdosers for about 30 days. Small to medium improvements in mood and mental health were observed among microdosers, consistent across gender, age, and pre-existing mental health concerns. Older adults showed specific improvements in psychomotor performance. Combining psilocybin with lion's mane mushrooms and niacin did not affect mood or mental health changes, but among older microdosers, this combination was linked to greater psychomotor improvements than psilocybin alone or with lion's mane. These findings add controlled evidence to the growing research on psychedelic microdosing.
Psychopharmacology
October 11, 2025
Michelle St Pierre, Elena Argento, Jordyn Cates et al.
On days when adults microdose psychedelics, they report higher levels of wellbeing, productivity, creativity, connectedness, contemplation, and focus compared to days they do not microdose. The increase in creativity is especially pronounced among people who have previously used larger doses of psychedelics. These findings come from a large international survey of 1,435 adults who microdose, using daily-level self-reports that reduce reliance on memory. Because the study is observational and exploratory, the results should be interpreted cautiously.