Men in their 30s with stable jobs and relationships and extensive entheogen experience microdose psychedelics—taking about one tenth of a recreational dose—in phases, reporting mostly positive effects such as improved mood, cognition, and creativity, which often helped counteract symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some users reported challenges and did not continue the practice. The findings are not generalizable but may inform future research questions and hypotheses.
Researchers still know little about who uses psychedelics and how use affects long-term mental health. A methodological review of psychedelics studies shows that different studies focus on different segments of the user population, which likely have different usage patterns and consequences. Studies of problematic users tend to find negative mental health effects, while studies of infrequent users tend to find positive effects. Because the field lacks a reliable model of the user population, it is hard to assess the broader validity of findings. The article presents three theoretical models to help contextualize findings and clarify disagreements.