Scientists find microdosing LSD could help with ADHD

Scientists have claimed that microdosing shrooms may help with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In new research published inFrontiers in Psychiatry, researchers suggested that certain psychedelics could improve mindfulness in adults.

The study looked at 233 people with ADHD who had already been considering microdosing. They monitored the effects for two weeks and then four weeks after they started the course of LSD.

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

ADHD is a condition that can affect people's ability to concentrate, with the NHS saying it can make people seem restless and also more likely to act on impulse. It affects around 2.5 million people in the UK.

For children with ADHD, there is often educational support and advice available. Some may be given medication.

In adults, the NHS explains that medication or psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is offered.

It comes after pharmacists expressed how they were facing "anger and aggression from patients over medicine shortages".

Pharmacy leaders were speaking at the first session of a parliamentary inquiry focused on community, primary care and hospital pharmacy services.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, told the Health and Social Care Committee on Tuesday morning that a shortage of medicines is a “real problem”.

She 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 (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) medicines or HRT (hormone replacement therapy).”

Dr Hannbeck said she does not think “enough is being done” within the Department of Health and Social Care to “make medicine availability better in the UK”.

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