- The primary motivation for participants in microdosing psychedelics was to address mental health issues, with 40% of users looking for alternative treatments.
- Cognitive enhancement, often highlighted in discussions around microdosing, was the main aim for only a minority (18%) of participants, suggesting a more complex landscape of motivations.
- Despite some reports of unwanted effects, most participants perceived benefits such as improved mood and cognitive function, indicating a significant degree of user satisfaction.
Introduction
The researchers open by addressing the recent surge of interest in utilizing psychedelics as treatment options for mental and substance use disorders. Clinical trials suggest that substances such as psilocybin and LSD have beneficial effects on conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction. In parallel, microdosing, which involves consuming sub-threshold amounts of these psychedelics without wanting to experience significant effects, has gained traction, particularly among high-performing professionals.
This paper attempts to illustrate the motivations behind microdosing, its application practices, the perceived benefits, possible undesired effects, and harm reduction strategies employed by users. The authors also wish to explore how motivations and substances may correspond to the perceived outcomes of microdosing.
Methods
Sample and Recruitment
An international online survey, known as the Psychedelic Experiences Survey, was performed in 2018. Participants were drawn from diverse platforms, including online communities and social media, ensuring they were at least 16 years old, had some experience with psychedelics, and could understand written English. Ultimately, the focus narrowed to 525 participants actively engaging in microdosing practices at the time of the survey.
Measures
The survey compiled information on participants’ demographics, their history of psychedelic use, microdosing habits, the Severity of Dependence Scale for assessing adverse effects of use, perceived short-term benefits, negative outcomes encountered, and harm reduction techniques practiced.
Statistical Analyses
The researchers applied various statistical evaluation methods, including t-tests and principal component analyses, to analyze the data. They compared participants using LSD or 1P-LSD with those microdosing psilocybin and conducted multivariate analyses to detect differences linked to participants’ motivations and the substances used.
Results
Sample Characteristics
The average age of the 525 participants was approximately 34.5 years, predominantly male (73.5%). A significant majority had completed higher education (52.8%) and were employed full-time (49.3%). Nearly half resided in the United States, and a considerable number (43%) had received a mental health diagnosis at some point in their lives.
Microdosing Practices
Participants most frequently microdosed with psilocybin (55%) and LSD/1P-LSD (48.2%). The average onset age for microdosing was 31 years, with 65% having started within the last six months. The predominant reasons for microdosing included addressing mental health or substance use issues (40.4%), personal development (31.2%), and cognitive enhancement (18.1%). Most participants adopted a schedule of microdosing one day, followed by two days off.
Perceived Short-term Benefits
Through principal component analysis, the researchers identified three main areas of perceived short-term benefits: improved mood and anxiety, enhanced connection with people and surroundings, and cognitive performance improvements. Notably, those microdosing for mental health reasons reported more significant benefits in mood and anxiety, while LSD/1P-LSD users noted greater cognitive improvements than those using psilocybin.
Unwanted Effects
Participants reported some unwanted effects categorized into three groups: psychedelic effects, anxiety-related effects, and physical effects. Although many experienced these effects, they were usually not frequent occurrences. Physical side effects were notably more reported among those using LSD/1P-LSD than psilocybin.
Harm Reduction Practices
The prevalent harm reduction strategies included not microdosing when feeling unwell (31%), avoiding alcohol (30.8%) and caffeine (23.8%), and steering clear of unfamiliar settings (22.9%). Those using LSD/1P-LSD tended to engage in more precautionary actions, such as avoiding caffeine and using testing kits for substance purity.
Discussion
The research revealed that a notable portion of participants utilized microdosing as an alternative therapy for mental health conditions. Standard treatments may not suffice for some individuals, highlighting the need for additional options. The assumption that cognitive enhancement is the main driver for microdosing did not hold true for the majority, as only 18% reported it as their primary intent. However, it is essential to recognize that many experienced cognitive enhancements, indicating diverse motivations at play.
While few reported consistent unwanted effects, those were relatively infrequent, particularly physical disturbances among LSD/1P-LSD users. The challenges of microdosing with unregulated substances also surfaced, underscoring the significance of harm reduction practices like at-home testing. The authors acknowledge the limitations of their study in representing a broad demographic and emphasize the need for randomized controlled trials to further explore the efficacy of psychedelic microdosing alongside ongoing research in social sciences for improved resources.
Read the full paper summary on Blossom.
