Scientists have discovered microdosing psychedelics could help ADHD

New drugs have been found to help improve mindfulness in adults who have ADHD. However, they aren’t the type of drugs the NHS prescribes.

New research, which was published in Frontiers in Psychiatry this week, has found that psychedelics such as LSD and magic mushrooms can help ease people with ADHD’s mental health. The study analysed 233 people with ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – who had already been considering microdosing. They examined the effects for two weeks and then four weeks after participants started their course of LSD.

‘We found improvements in all facets of mindfulness after four weeks of microdosing,’ said study author, Eline C H M. Haijen. ‘Their average mindfulness score at the four-week time point was comparable to mean mindfulness scores of general population samples.’

Currently, ADHD affects around 2.6 million adults in the UK and can cause symptoms such as difficulty to concentrate and impulsivity, which can severely impact people’s work and relationships.

In addition, 366 million adults worldwide are thought to have ADHD as well as 129 million children.

One of the reasons this study was conducted is because an ongoing shortage is stopping people from receiving their usual ADHD medications which include Adderall and Ritalin. Speaking to the health and social care committee on Tuesday, Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said the shortage is a ‘real problem’.

Dr Hannbeck said: ‘Over the past few years, we are seeing medicines all of a sudden just not being available at all.

‘We see first-hand the stress that it causes our patients with regards to, for example, ADHD medicines or HRT (hormone replacement therapy).’

Still, news of psychedelics potentially helping people with ADHD is promising. However, scientists have claimed more research needs to be done before a clear decision can be made.

Image: geralt

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