Trait mindfulness and personality characteristics in a microdosing ADHD sample: a naturalistic prospective survey study

Summary & key facts

Researchers followed adults with diagnosed or severe ADHD who chose to microdose psychedelics for four weeks. They found small changes on self-report tests: people said they were better at noticing and describing their thoughts and feelings and were less prone to worry and negative emotions after four weeks. The study was done online without a placebo comparison, so the results suggest a possible effect but do not prove microdosing caused the changes.

Key facts:

• The study looked at adults with ADHD or strong ADHD symptoms who started microdosing and measured them before starting, then again after two weeks and after four weeks.
• About 44 people completed the survey at all three time points.
• Microdosing here means taking very small, non-hallucinogenic amounts of psychedelics over time.
• After four weeks, overall trait mindfulness increased on the self-report test. The increases were specifically in two parts of mindfulness: being able to put feelings and thoughts into words, and not judging one’s inner experience.
• After four weeks, scores for neuroticism went down. Neuroticism is a personality tendency to feel anxious, moody, or easily upset.
• The other main personality traits—conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness—did not change over the four weeks.
• Whether people were also taking regular ADHD medication or had other diagnoses did not change these reported effects.
• The study was naturalistic and used self-reports. There was no placebo control, and the sample was small, so the authors say controlled studies are needed to confirm the findings.

Abstract

Background: Microdosing (MD), repeatedly taking psychedelics in small, non-hallucinogenic amounts, has been practiced by individuals to relieve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Generally, adults diagnosed with ADHD have lower levels of mindfulness and differ in personality structure from non-ADHD adults. How MD affects mindfulness and personality in adults with ADHD remains unexplored. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of 4 weeks of MD on mindfulness and personality traits in adults diagnosed with ADHD and those experiencing severe ADHD symptoms. It was expected that mindfulness and the personality traits conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness would increase and neuroticism would decrease after 4 weeks of MD compared to baseline. It was explored if using conventional ADHD medication alongside MD and/or having comorbidities influenced MD-induced effects. Methods: An online prospective naturalistic design was used to measure participants before MD initiation and 2 and 4 weeks later. Validated self-report measures were used assessing mindfulness (15-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) and personality traits (10-item version of the Big Five Inventory) at three time points. Results: = 44 participants at the three time points, respectively. Trait mindfulness, specifically description and non-judging of inner experience, was increased, and neuroticism was decreased after 4 weeks of MD compared to baseline. The remaining personality traits remained unchanged. Using conventional medication and/or having comorbid diagnoses did not change the MD-induced effects on mindfulness and personality traits after 4 weeks. Conclusion: MD induced changes in otherwise stable traits. Future placebo-controlled studies are warranted to confirm whether these changes occur in a controlled setting.

Topics

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Pain Management and Placebo Effect Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Agreeableness Big Five personality traits Clinical psychology Conscientiousness Extraversion and introversion Facet (psychology) Mindfulness Neuroticism Personality Psychiatry Psychology Social psychology

Conditions & symptoms

ADHD Difficulty focusing