Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
Department of Family Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 18;11(1):22479. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-01811-4.
The use of psychedelic substances at sub-sensorium 'microdoses', has gained popular academic interest for reported positive effects on wellness and cognition. The present study describes microdosing practices, motivations and mental health among a sample of self-selected microdosers (n = 4050) and non-microdosers (n = 4653) via a mobile application. Psilocybin was the most commonly used microdose substances in our sample (85%) and we identified diverse microdose practices with regard to dosage, frequency, and the practice of stacking which involves combining psilocybin with non-psychedelic substances such as Lion's Mane mushrooms, chocolate, and niacin. Microdosers were generally similar to non-microdosing controls with regard to demographics, but were more likely to report a history of mental health concerns. Among individuals reporting mental health concerns, microdosers exhibited lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress across gender. Health and wellness-related motives were the most prominent motives across microdosers in general, and were more prominent among females and among individuals who reported mental health concerns. Our results indicate health and wellness motives and perceived mental health benefits among microdosers, and highlight the need for further research into the mental health consequences of microdosing including studies with rigorous longitudinal designs.
使用致幻物质进行亚感知“微剂量”，已引起学术界对其在健康和认知方面的积极影响的广泛关注。本研究通过移动应用程序，对自我选择的微剂量使用者（n=4050）和非微剂量使用者（n=4653）进行了微剂量使用实践、动机和心理健康的描述。在我们的样本中，最常使用的微剂量物质是裸盖菇素（85%），我们发现了各种不同的微剂量实践，包括剂量、频率以及叠加实践，叠加实践涉及将裸盖菇素与非致幻物质如狮鬃菇、巧克力和烟酸结合使用。微剂量使用者在人口统计学方面与非微剂量对照组大致相似，但更有可能报告存在心理健康问题。在报告存在心理健康问题的个体中，微剂量使用者在性别之间表现出更低水平的抑郁、焦虑和压力。一般来说，健康和福利相关的动机是微剂量使用者最突出的动机，而且在女性和报告存在心理健康问题的个体中更为突出。我们的结果表明，微剂量使用者存在健康和福利动机以及对心理健康益处的认知，并强调需要进一步研究微剂量对心理健康的影响，包括采用严格的纵向设计的研究。
