For the first time ever, scientists have monitored the effects of microdosing with LSD at home as a treatment for major depressive disorder. Over the course of eight weeks, 19 people took regular tiny amounts of the psychedelic drug, resulting in a pronounced reduction in symptom severity that persisted for up to six months.

Over the past decade or so, numerous studies have highlighted the potential of psychedelic compounds like psilocybin to combat depression, though the exact mechanisms behind this effect are still being investigated. Recent years have also seen an explosion of interest in psychedelic microdosing, which involves taking tiny, “sub-perceptual” doses of mind-altering substances in the hopes of boosting creativity, improving mood, and even treating mental health disorders.

However, very little proper research into the safety or efficacy of microdosing has been conducted, and there’s a great deal of uncertainty over whether or not the practice has any benefits.

To provide some solid data, the authors of the new study gave LSD to a group of patients in New Zealand, and instructed them to take minuscule doses at home twice a week. “This is the first trial to investigate the effects of repeated microdoses of a psychedelic in a naturalistic setting as a treatment for depression,” they write in their paper.

“Patients in this trial experienced a pronounced, long-lasting reduction in depressive symptoms evident from two weeks after the commencement of microdosing until at least the end of the regimen. The reduction of symptoms continued at four weeks of treatment, which stabilised and lasted up to six months after the end of treatment,” explain the researchers.

Prior to starting treatment, participants had an average depression score of 23.7 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) – a clinically-verified measure of the severity of depressive symptoms. After eight weeks of microdosing, this had dropped to 9.59, representing a 59.52 percent reduction, while nine of the 19 patients were classified as in remission.

The authors also confirm that no major adverse events were reported during the trial, illustrating the safety of microdosing with LSD – although one participant did leave the study after experiencing anxiety. This research is also the first to assess the effects of repeated psychedelic doses on the function of the heart’s valves, with no issues observed.