Positive expectations predict improved mental-health outcomes linked to psychedelic microdosing

Summary & key facts

Researchers followed people who planned to try weekly psychedelic microdosing for four weeks. Eighty-one people completed the main study surveys before, during and after the month. On average, people reported better psychological well-being, more emotional stability, lower short-term anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms after four weeks. They also reported being more resilient, more socially connected, kinder in personality, more connected to nature, and a bit more mentally flexible. But people who expected benefits before starting were more likely to report improvements, suggesting that hopes and expectations may explain at least part of the change. The study says we should be cautious about claiming clear mental-health benefits from microdosing without more controlled tests.

Key facts:

• The study followed people who were about to start a weekly microdosing routine and collected surveys before, during, and after a four-week period.
• Eighty-one people completed the main study period and the key surveys.
• After four weeks, participants reported higher psychological well-being and greater emotional stability than before they started microdosing.
• Participants also reported lower short-term (state) anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms at the four-week point.
• Other reported gains included stronger resilience, a greater sense of social connectedness, increased agreeableness (being kinder or more cooperative), more feeling of connection to nature, and some gains in psychological flexibility (being able to adapt to thoughts and feelings).
• People who had stronger positive expectations about microdosing before they started were more likely to report improvements, which suggests a placebo or expectation effect.
• Because expectations predicted who improved, the authors warn against making strong claims that microdosing itself caused the benefits without more tightly controlled studies.

Abstract

Psychedelic microdosing describes the ingestion of near-threshold perceptible doses of classic psychedelic substances. Anecdotal reports and observational studies suggest that microdosing may promote positive mood and well-being, but recent placebo-controlled studies failed to find compelling evidence for this. The present study collected web-based mental health and related data using a prospective (before, during and after) design. Individuals planning a weekly microdosing regimen completed surveys at strategic timepoints, spanning a core four-week test period. Eighty-one participants completed the primary study endpoint. Results revealed increased self-reported psychological well-being, emotional stability and reductions in state anxiety and depressive symptoms at the four-week primary endpoint, plus increases in psychological resilience, social connectedness, agreeableness, nature relatedness and aspects of psychological flexibility. However, positive expectancy scores at baseline predicted subsequent improvements in well-being, suggestive of a significant placebo response. This study highlights a role for positive expectancy in predicting positive outcomes following psychedelic microdosing and cautions against zealous inferences on its putative therapeutic value.

Topics

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

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Alternative medicine Anxiety Clinical endpoint Clinical psychology Expectancy theory Internal medicine Medicine Mental health Mood Observational study Pathology Placebo Psychiatry Psychology Randomized controlled trial Social psychology

Substances

Other

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Anxiety or worry Feeling disconnected from others Sadness or low mood