An international survey of people living with eating disorders has found that cannabis and psychedelics—such as magic mushrooms and LSD—were rated most helpful in easing symptoms, while alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine were rated the least helpful.
The study, led by PhD student Sarah-Catherine Rodan from the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, was published in JAMA Network Open on July 22.
The survey collected responses from over 7,600 people across 83 countries, making it the largest study of its kind. Participants shared their experiences with both prescription and non-prescription drugs and how these affected their eating disorder symptoms and general mental health.
Most of the respondents were female (94%) and from English-speaking countries, including Australia (30%), the UK (21.3%), and the US (18%). The major eating disorders represented were anorexia nervosa (40%), bulimia nervosa (19%), binge-eating disorder (11%), and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (9%).
Around one-third of participants had not been formally diagnosed but reported significant distress from disordered eating.
Many participants also reported additional mental health conditions such as depression (65%), anxiety (55%), ADHD (33%), drug dependence (15%), and alcohol dependence (9%).
The findings revealed that cannabis and psychedelics were used more frequently than in the general population and were rated positively for managing eating disorder symptoms. Cannabis, in particular, was helpful for those with restrictive eating disorders like anorexia and ARFID because it can increase the appeal of food.
Psychedelics, though taken less often, were reported to provide long-lasting improvements, echoing recent findings about their benefits for depression and anxiety.
Prescription medications, especially antidepressants, were generally seen as helpful for overall mental health but not for reducing specific eating disorder symptoms. One exception was the stimulant lisdexamfetamine, used to treat binge eating disorder.
It received high ratings from people with binge eating disorder but was poorly rated by those with restrictive disorders due to its appetite-suppressing effects.
Conversely, substances like alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine were widely used but consistently rated as harmful to both eating disorder symptoms and general mental health.
Ms. Rodan said the findings offer valuable insight into how people with eating disorders use drugs to self-medicate. “Many individuals are using substances they feel help them, often because traditional medications fall short,” she said. “This highlights the need for clinical trials to investigate these options more rigorously.”
As a result of the study, the University of Sydney is launching a clinical trial to examine the effects of psilocybin (a psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms) for treating anorexia nervosa. They are also completing a pilot study on cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound from cannabis, for use in young people with severe anorexia.
Professor Iain McGregor, senior author and Academic Director of the Lambert Initiative, said, “Cannabis and psychedelics show real potential to improve quality of life for people with eating disorders. Since current treatments often fall short, this could open new doors for care.”
Rodan added, “We hope this research gives a voice to people living with eating disorders, showing that their experiences—often viewed with stigma—could guide new, more effective treatment options.”
The research was funded by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney and supported by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council.
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The study is published in JAMA Network Open.
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