Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 24, 2019
Toby Lea, Nicole Amada, Henrik Jungaberle
121 citations
People are self-administering very low doses of psychedelic drugs, known as microdosing, to improve mental health, wellbeing, and cognitive function, but little research has been conducted. A content analysis of Reddit discussions examined motivations, dosing practices, and perceived benefits and limitations. Motivations included managing mental health issues, improving psychosocial wellbeing, and cognitive enhancement. Self-reported benefits included cognitive and creative enhancement, reduced depression and anxiety, enhanced self-insight, improved mood, and better social interactions. Limitations included dosing problems, adverse physical effects, taking illegal substances, limited or no improvement, increased anxiety, and concerns about dependence. Standard doses in therapeutic settings show potential for treating mental health conditions, but clinical research on microdosing is needed.
International Journal of Drug Policy
November 25, 2019
Toby Lea, Nicole Amada, Henrik Jungaberle et al.
119 citations
People who microdose psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD are most often doing so to improve their mental health, for personal development, or to enhance cognitive performance. A 2018 international online survey of 525 current microdosers found that the perceived short-term benefits cluster into three areas: improved mood and reduced anxiety, a greater sense of connection to others and the environment, and cognitive enhancement. Unwanted effects included stronger-than-expected psychedelic effects, anxiety-related effects, and physical adverse effects. Most participants (78%) reported using at least one harm reduction practice. The findings indicate that microdosing is commonly used as a self-managed mental health therapy, often as an alternative or complement to conventional treatments.
Addiction
December 22, 2025
Jonathan Brett, Toby Lea, Elizabeth Knock et al.
People with methamphetamine use disorder who took part in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy reported that the treatment was acceptable and often transformative. Before treatment, participants held tempered hopes for positive outcomes. During the psychedelic sessions, many confronted challenging emotional or psychic obstacles by deliberately 'leaning into' them, a process that led to new understandings of themselves, their personal histories, and their relationships. Resolving these obstacles was associated with a reduced importance of methamphetamine in their lives. The therapeutic relationship—characterized by concentrated attention and deep interpersonal intimacy between participant and therapist—was seen as critical to these positive changes.
Psychopharmacology
May 1, 2020
Toby Lea, Nicole Amada, Henrik Jungaberle et al.
An international online survey of 1102 people who had microdosed psychedelics found that 21% did so primarily for depression, 7% for anxiety, 9% for other mental disorders, and 2% to reduce or stop substance use. Forty-four percent perceived their mental health as "much better" as a result. Perceived improvements were associated with gender, education, microdosing duration and motivations, and recent use of larger psychedelic doses. The authors call for clinical trials to determine microdosing's potential role in psychiatric treatment and for further social research on its use as a self-managed therapy.