Adults who microdose psychedelics report health related motivations and lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-microdosers
Joseph M. Rootman, Pamela Kryskow, Kalin Harvey, Paul Stamets, Eesmyal Santos-Brault, Kim P. C. Kuypers, Vince Polito, Francoise Bourzat, Zach Walsh
Scientific Reports November 18, 2021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01811-4 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAmong 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8,703 |
| Population | Self-selected microdosers and non-microdosers recruited via a mobile application |
| Intervention | chocolate |
| Topics | Anxiety Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Mental health Microdose Depression economics Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 78 |
| Key finding | Microdosers with mental health concerns reported lower depression, anxiety, and stress compared to non-microdosers with similar concerns. |
Abstract
Abstract The use of psychedelic substances at sub-sensorium ‘ microdoses’, has gained popular academic interest for reported positive effects on wellness and cognition. The present study describes microdosing practices, motivations and mental health among a sample of self-selected microdosers ( n = 4050) and non-microdosers ( n = 4653) via a mobile application. Psilocybin was the most commonly used microdose substances in our sample (85%) and we identified diverse microdose practices with regard to dosage, frequency, and the practice of stacking which involves combining psilocybin with non-psychedelic substances such as Lion’s Mane mushrooms, chocolate, and niacin. Microdosers were generally similar to non-microdosing controls with regard to demographics, but were more likely to report a history of mental health concerns. Among individuals reporting mental health concerns, microdosers exhibited lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress across gender. Health and wellness-related motives were the most prominent motives across microdosers in general, and were more prominent among females and among individuals who reported mental health concerns. Our results indicate health and wellness motives and perceived mental health benefits among microdosers, and highlight the need for further research into the mental health consequences of microdosing including studies with rigorous longitudinal designs.