Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls

Summary & key facts

Researchers followed 953 people who microdosed psilocybin and 180 non-microdosing controls for about 30 days. Microdosers showed small-to-medium improvements in mood and overall mental health at one month compared with controls. These improvements were seen across genders, age groups, and in people with and without prior mental health concerns. The study was observational and cannot prove that microdosing caused the changes.

Key facts:

• The study followed 953 psilocybin microdosers and 180 non-microdosing comparators for approximately 30 days (about one month).
• At one month, microdosers showed small-to-medium improvements in mood and mental health relative to the non-microdosing control group.
• Mood and mental health improvements were generally consistent across gender, age, and whether participants had existing mental health concerns.
• Psychomotor performance (measures of movement and coordination) improved in older adults who microdosed, but this psychomotor change was not seen across the whole sample.
• Combining psilocybin with lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) and niacin (vitamin B3) did not change mood or mental health outcomes, according to supplementary analyses.
• Among older microdosers, the combination of psilocybin, lion’s mane, and niacin was associated with greater psychomotor improvements than psilocybin alone or psilocybin plus lion’s mane.
• The study used a naturalistic, observational design with self-selected participants, so it cannot rule out placebo effects, expectancies, or other non-drug explanations for the observed changes.

Topics

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Clinical psychology Hallucinogen Medicine Mental health Mood Pharmacology Psilocybin Psychiatry Psychology