Prescription and Nonprescription Drug Use Among People With Eating Disorders.
Sarah-Catherine Rodan, Sarah Maguire, Noah Meez, Kayla Greenstien, Garen Zartarian, Katherine L. Mills, Anastasia Suraev, Miguel A Bedoya-Pérez, Iain S. Mcgregor
JAMA Network Open July 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.22406 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6,612 |
| Population | Adults who self-reported an eating disorder or disordered eating, predominantly female, recruited internationally via social media, online forums, and clinical services |
| Duration | Past 12 months |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Eating disorders Eds Disordered eating Eating disorder symptoms Mental health conditions Substance use Drug use Psychoactive substances Symptom management Self-medication Non-prescribed drugs Cannabis & psychedelics Hallucinogens Alternative treatments Novel therapies Mental health treatment Symptom relief Therapeutic approaches Psychiatric treatment Medication efficacy Antidepressants Overall mental health |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Cannabis and psychedelics were perceived as most efficacious for alleviating eating disorder symptoms, while prescription antidepressants were perceived as relatively ineffective for eating disorder symptoms but beneficial for general mental health. |
Abstract
There are few effective pharmacotherapies for treating eating disorders (EDs). High rates of substance use among individuals with EDs suggest potential self-medication of symptoms. To explore the experiences of individuals with EDs regarding use of prescribed and nonprescribed drugs. This survey study assessed responses to the Medications and Other Drugs for Eating Disorders (MED-FED) survey, which was advertised internationally using social media, online forums, and clinical services and recruited adults who self-reported an ED or disordered eating from November 10, 2022, to May 31, 2023. The online survey queried about recent prescribed and nonprescribed drug use as well as the perceived benefits and harms of each substance. EDs or disordered eating and co-occurring mental health conditions. Substances evaluated included caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, prescription psychotropics, psychedelics, ketamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (or ecstasy), stimulants, opioids, and other drugs. Respondents described drug use over the past 12 months. For each drug used, they rated their agreement or disagreement on a 5-point Likert scale (-2, strongly disagree; -1, disagree; 0, neutral; 1, agree; or 2, strongly agree) with the following 3 statements: (1) this medication/drug makes my eating disorder symptoms better; (2) this medication/drug has overall benefits for my mental health; and (3) this medication/drug has unpleasant side effects. There were 7648 participants recruited, of whom 6612 completed the demographic portion, and 5123 completed the entire survey. Among the 6612 respondents (mean [SD] age, 24.3 [7.7] years), the sample was predominantly female (6217 [94.0%]), and most resided in Australia (1981 [30.0%]), the UK (1409 [21.3%]), or the US (1195 [18.0%]). Diagnosed EDs included 2696 (40.8%) individuals with anorexia nervosa, 1258 (19.0%) with bulimia nervosa, 757 (11.4%) with binge-eating disorder, and 589 (8.9%) with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Many respondents (2493 [37.7%]) were undiagnosed. Psychiatric comorbidities were highly prevalent; depression was reported by 4333 respondents (65.5%). Cannabis and psychedelics were highest-rated for improving ED symptoms. Prescription antidepressants were rated highly for overall mental health but not for ED symptoms, with the exception of fluoxetine for bulimia nervosa and lisdexamfetamine for binge-eating disorder. Alcohol, nicotine, and tobacco were rated as the most harmful drugs. The findings of this survey study of prescription and nonprescription drug use suggest that cannabis and psychedelics were perceived by survey respondents as efficacious in alleviating their ED symptoms, which supports further research in this area. Prescription psychotropics were perceived as being relatively ineffective for ED symptoms but beneficial to general mental health.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning 104 chronic cannabis users (49 early-onset before age 15, 55 late-onset after age 15)... | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional study | n = 148 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 600 |
| Illicit Use of LSD or Psilocybin, but not MDMA or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, is Associated with Mystical Experiences in a Dose-Dependent Manner Adults recruited from the MAPS website and newsletter, most reporting use of various... | 2012 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 337 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Psychedelic use in individuals living with eating disorders or disordered eating: findings from the international MED-FED survey. Journal of Eating Disorders July 24, 2025
- Psilocybin Treatment as an Adjunct to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders: Therapeutic Rationale & Considerations for Protocol Development. Behavioral Sciences March 6, 2026
- Psilocybin as a Transdiagnostic Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbid Psychopathology: Implications for Clinical Nosology and Research Directions International Journal of Eating Disorders July 2, 2026
Cites 6
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Journal of Humanistic Psychology June 19, 2017
- Psilocybin therapy for females with anorexia nervosa: a phase 1, open-label feasibility study Nature Medicine July 24, 2023
- An exploratory study of experiences with conventional eating disorder treatment and ceremonial ayahuasca for the healing of eating disorders. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity April 1, 2020
and 1 more in the library