Naturalistic psilocybin use is associated with persisting improvements in mental health and wellbeing: results from a prospective, longitudinal survey

Sandeep M Nayak; Hillary Jackson; Nathan D Sepeda; David S Mathai; Sara So; Abigail Yaffe; Hadi Zaki; Trey J Brasher; Matthew X Lowe; Del R P Jolly; Frederick S Barrett; Roland R Griffiths; Justin C Strickland; Matthew W Johnson; Heather Jackson; Albert Garcia-Romeu

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1199642

Naturalistic psilocybin use is associated with persisting improvements in mental health and wellbeing: results from a prospective, longitudinal survey

Front Psychiatry. 2023 Sep 19:14:1199642. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1199642. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Sandeep M Nayak^{1

2}, Hillary Jackson^{1

2}, Nathan D Sepeda^{1

2

3}, David S Mathai^{1

2}, Sara So^{1

2}, Abigail Yaffe^{1

2}, Hadi Zaki^{1

2}, Trey J Brasher⁴, Matthew X Lowe⁴, Del R P Jolly⁴, Frederick S Barrett^{1

2

5

6}, Roland R Griffiths^{1

2

6}, Justin C Strickland^{1

2}, Matthew W Johnson¹, Heather Jackson⁴, Albert Garcia-Romeu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
² Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
³ Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.
⁴ Unlimited Sciences, Colorado Springs, CO, United States.
⁵ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁶ Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.

Abstract

Introduction: The classic psychedelic psilocybin, found in some mushroom species, has received renewed interest in clinical research, showing potential mental health benefits in preliminary trials. Naturalistic use of psilocybin outside of research settings has increased in recent years, though data on the public health impact of such use remain limited.

Methods: This prospective, longitudinal study comprised six sequential automated web-based surveys that collected data from adults planning to take psilocybin outside clinical research: at time of consent, 2 weeks before, the day before, 1-3 days after, 2-4 weeks after, and 2-3 months after psilocybin use.

Results: A sample of 2,833 respondents completed all baseline assessments approximately 2 weeks before psilocybin use, 1,182 completed the 2-4 week post-use survey, and 657 completed the final follow-up survey 2-3 months after psilocybin use. Participants were primarily college-educated White men residing in the United States with a prior history of psychedelic use; mean age = 40 years. Participants primarily used dried psilocybin mushrooms (mean dose = 3.1 grams) for "self-exploration" purposes. Prospective longitudinal data collected before and after a planned psilocybin experience on average showed persisting reductions in anxiety, depression, and alcohol misuse, increased cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation, spiritual wellbeing, and extraversion, and reduced neuroticism and burnout after psilocybin use. However, a minority of participants (11% at 2-4 weeks and 7% at 2-3 months) reported persisting negative effects after psilocybin use (e.g., mood fluctuations, depressive symptoms).

Discussion: Results from this study, the largest prospective survey of naturalistic psilocybin use to date, support the potential for psilocybin to produce lasting improvements in mental health symptoms and general wellbeing.

Keywords: crowdsourced data; hallucinogen; mystical experience; psilocybin; psychedelic.