Cited by 77Psychedelics and Drug StudiesParanormal Experiences and BeliefsReligion, Spirituality, and Psychology

Self-Rated Effectiveness of Microdosing With Psychedelics for Mental and Physical Health Problems Among Microdosers

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Hutten, Nadia R. P. W., Mason, Natasha L., Dolder, Patrick C., Kuypers, Kim P. C.·2019·Frontiers in Psychiatry

Abstract

Background. There is a growing interest in the use of psychedelic substances for health related purposes, including symptom relief for disorders like anxiety, depression, and pain. Although the focus of recent clinical trials has been on high doses of these substances, anecdotal evidence suggests that low (micro) doses are also effective, and may be more suitable for certain conditions. Nonetheless, empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of microdosing with psychedelics for symptomatic relief is lacking.The present study aimed to investigate, by means of an online questionnaire, the self-rated effectiveness (SRE) of microdosing with psychedelics (MDP) for mental and physiological disorders compared to the conventional prescribed treatment and to regular doses of psychedelics. Methods. An online questionnaire was launched on several websites and fora between March and July 2018. Respondents who had consented, were 18 years of age or older, had experience with microdosing and were diagnosed with at least one mental or physiological disorder by a medical doctor or therapist (N= 410; 7.2%) were included in the analyses. Odds ratio were calculated to compared the SRE of MDP with conventional treatment, and regular psychedelic doses for mental and physiological diagnoses for each of the three effectiveness questions (“Did it work”, “Symptom disappear”, “Quality of life improved”). Results. Odds ratio showed that SRE of MDP was significantly higher compared to that of conventional treatments for both mental and physiological diagnoses; and that these effects were specific for neurodevelopmental and anxiety disorders. In contrast, SRE of MDP was lower compared to that of higher, regular psychedelic doses for mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, while for physiological disorders no difference was shown. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that SRE of MDP to alleviate symptoms of a range of mental or physiological diagnoses is higher compared to conventionally offered treatment options, and lower than regular (‘full’) psychedelic doses. Future RCTs in patient populations should objectively assess the effectivity claims of psychedelics, and whether these are dose related, disorder specific and superior to conventional treatments.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00672

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  • Some adults diagnosed with ADHD report using low, sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelic substances repeatedly (microdosing) to self-treat their symptoms and improve daily life functioning.

    “Survey research has shown that some adults diagnosed with ADHD report using low, sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelic substances repeatedly, referred to as microdosing (MD), to self-treat their symptoms and as such to improve daily life functioning (4–7).”

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Authors
Hutten, N. R. P. W., Mason, N. L., Dolder, P. C., & Kuypers, K. P. C.
Affiliations
Maastricht University (NL)
Corresponding author
Hutten, Nadia R. P. W.
Venue
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Published
2019-09-13
Volume
10
Pages
672-672
ISSN
1664-0640 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2969627127
Cited by
77
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9
FWCI
8.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
  • Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
Keywords
microdosing, psychedelics, mental illness, physical disorders, anxiety disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, depression, symptom relief, quality of life, conventional therapy comparison, dose comparison

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