Microdosing psychedelics has become a trendy way to treat depression. The practice involves taking a much smaller dose than uh, recreationally considered “typical”—not enough psilocybin or LSD to feel the divine cosmic oneness but enough to provide positive effects, which might include increased focus, higher libido, mild euphoria, and most notably, decreased instances of depression. But a new study is looking to harsh your mellow, finding that the benefits of microdosing on depression have been vastly overstated. In fact, microdosing might be less effective than simply drinking a cup of coffee.
As reported by Wired, the as-yet published study is the work of Melbourne-based MindBio Therapeutics. In a Phase 2B clinical trial—the phase at which a drug’s efficacy is determined and optimal dosages decided for a larger subsequent trial—89 participants were given either small amounts of LSD, between 4 and 20 micrograms, or a caffeine pill as a placebo. (In psychoactive tests, researchers will often use caffeine pills as a placebo because participants expect to feel something, which caffeine provides.) Over the course of eight weeks, participants major depressive symptoms were gauged using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), “a widely recognized tool for the clinical evaluation of depression.”
They found that microdosing failed at proving to be beneficial. In fact, the caffeine pill actually outperformed it. While microdosing did lead to increased feelings of overall well-being in participants, it produces worse MADRS scores when compared to the caffeine pill.
Put another way, a cup of coffee may be more beneficial to dealing with depression than small amounts of psychedelics (at least in the cases where the individuals believe the coffee will have an effect).
Still, there are detractors. One veteran psychedelic researcher Jim Fadiman claims that these findings aren’t explained by a pure placebo effect but by the fact that caffeine has psychoactive properties. “What I know is that if you take enough caffeine, you will not be depressed!” Fadiman states.
So whether it is one hell of a placebo effect or if coffee is in fact beneficially psychoactive, the results appear to be the same: caffeine can have positive effects on those with depression. And also, it’s probably a lot easier to believe coffee is going to help than it is to find a reliable acid connection. What, do I gotta loiter around college campuses, blasting the Dead and intercepting frisbees until a tie-dyed someone or other comes up to me? No thank you. It’s much easier to just go to a cafe.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
