New research: People with ADHD experience more mindfulness through microdosing

Recent research from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands shows that people with ADHD who microdose experience more mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of conscious attention to the present moment, without judgment. It involves focusing fully on what is happening now, with an open and accepting attitude toward your thoughts, feelings and the environment around you. The researchers surveyed 233 people with ADHD or similar symptoms. These people had already decided to start microdosing. The researchers collected information from them two weeks and four weeks after they started the study.

Previous research on microdosing and ADHD

This is not the first study on microdosing and ADHD. Earlier, the same team of scientists affiliated with the department of neuropsychology and psychopharmacology and faculty of psychology and neuroscience published results showing that microdosing can lead to improvements in ADHD symptoms and well-being in adults with ADHD who microdosed on their own initiative.

PhD student Eline Haijen led this research. Microdosing Institute previously recorded a podcast with her in which the topics of microdosing and ADHD, well-being, cognition and emotions were entranced:

Aim of the study

In the new study, the researchers wanted to understand what happens when people with ADHD or severe ADHD symptoms microdose for four weeks. They looked specifically at how this affects the way people think and their personality. 

The researchers thought that after those four weeks, people might become more mindful, and some traits such as taking responsibility, kindness, and openness would increase. 

On the other hand, they thought anxious feelings would decrease. They also wanted to know if taking normal ADHD medications or other health problems affected the results of microdosing.

Study design

An online survey method was used to measure participants before they began microdosing and 2 and 4 weeks later. 

The researchers used confirmed questionnaires in which participants self-reported. With these, they looked at mindfulness (using the 15-question Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) and personality traits (using the 10-question version of the Big Five Inventory) at three different time points.

Participants used various substances to microdose, the vast majority (77.8%) did so with magic mushrooms or truffles.

An overview:

• Psilocybin-containing mushrooms or magic truffles (77.8%)
• New lysergamides (1P-LSD, ALD-52) (12%)
• LSD (9.5%)
• Ayahuasca (0.9%)

Results

In summary, recent research has found positive changes in mindfulness, particularly in being able to describe thoughts and not judging inner experiences, as well as in the personality trait neuroticism after 4 weeks of microdosing compared to baseline in adults with ADHD or severe ADHD symptoms. 

These positive changes may be due to the positive properties of microdosing in this group of people. 

However, the researchers do say that more research is needed. This was a relatively small group and self-reporting was used. Also, there was no control group that did not microdose. More studies, possibly using a placebo, are therefore needed to confirm these findings.