Psilocybin microdosing does not affect emotion-related symptoms and processing: A preregistered field and lab-based study
Journal of Psychopharmacology December 17, 2021 Josephine Marschall, George Fejer, Pascal Lempe et al. 69 citations
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover study, psilocybin microdosing (a sub-hallucinogenic dose taken every third day) did not alter emotion processing, symptoms of anxiety or depression, or self-reported interoceptive awareness compared with placebo. Exploratory analyses showed that symptoms of depression and stress were significantly reduced in the first block compared with baseline, but participants broke blind in the second block, and there was no effect of expectations. The authors call for further research in a substance-naïve population with clinical-range anxiety and depressive symptoms to substantiate potential beneficial effects.