Psychedelics May Cut Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Classic psychedelics may be effective in reducing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), according to a study recently published online in Scientific Reports.

Anne Buot, Ph.D., from Sorbonne Université in Paris, and colleagues conducted an online survey to assess the impact on OCD symptoms in the general population using psychoactive drugs. The analysis included responses from 174 participants.

Responses showed that classic psychedelics were perceived as the only substances effective at reducing OCD symptoms. Symptom reduction was associated with the intensity of acute effects and correlated to the dose in classic psychedelics users. The reported persistence of the therapeutic effect varied from weeks to months, but no factors predicted persistence. The occurrence and frequency of subsequent intakes were limited in this sample and were predicted by the magnitude and persistence of the therapeutic effect, respectively.

"These results should not be generalized to the entire OCD population until the outcome of randomized controlled clinical trials confirms our observations," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to companies related to psychedelics.

Abstract/Full Text