Various studies have found that regular psilocybin doses have long lasting and profound effects on an individual’s mood and personality. However, a new placebo-controlled study has discovered that consuming microdoses of psilocybin at regular intervals doesn’t improve symptoms of anxiety or depression.
The study’s findings, which were reported in the “Journal of Psychopharmacology,” challenge claims that microdosing on psychedelics improves mental health.
Preliminary studies have shown that microdosing psychedelics is linked to a range of psychological benefits, including decreased stress and increased productivity. However, most of the studies done on microdosing had limitations, the main one being a lack of placebo-control groups.
Associate professor of cognitive psychology Michiel van Elk, the author of the study, stated that most people microdosed on psychedelics to cope with anxiety and depression and to help them feel better. He also noted, however, that most studies on microdosing were cross-sectional, which meant that they asked individuals at a particular point in time if they had microdosed and how they were feeling.
The Leiden University professor, who is also the PRiSM laboratory supervisor, explained that the objective of the study was to acquire more causal evidence on the effects of microdosing on well-being. For their research, the scientists recruited 75 individuals who were each given two bags that contained either placebo capsules or psilocybin tablets. Every participant was instructed to consume one bag of doses over a three-week period. Once this period ended, each participant was required to take a two-week break then consume the remaining bag, also over a three-week period.
Given that the study was double-blind, neither the researchers nor the participants were aware which bags contained placebo and which ones contained psilocybin. Every participant also completed tests that measured interoceptive awareness, emotion processing, anxiety and depression roughly one and a half hours after they had self-administered the tablets.
The researchers found that the effects of microdosing with psilocybin didn’t differ greatly from placebo, noting that they observed no decreased anxiety or depression scores. They did, however, observe a strong generic placebo effect, with both the microdosing and the placebo group demonstrating substantial change in their well-being from the moment the study began. In an interview, van Elk explained that from their observation, being part of a trial in which an individual could receive a psychoactive substance improved a person’s well-being.
The researchers recommended that future studies use bigger sample sizes in order to make it easier to identify small effects. Other researchers involved in the study include Katerina Hajkova, Martin Kuchar, Luisa Prochazkova, Pascal Lempe, George Fejer and Josephine Marschall.
Many people microdose different psychedelic compounds without the involvement of a medical professional, and the findings of this study underscore the position taken by entities such as Delic Holdings Corp. (CSE: DELC) (OTCQB: DELCF) that emphasize that these powerful substances should only be administered under medical supervision in a clinical setting.
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