Table of Contents
In a small single-blind pilot of 21 adult females with anorexia nervosa, researchers at Imperial College London observed statistically significant reductions in eating disorder symptoms and improved motivation to change following three psilocybin dosing sessions over six weeks, though results varied widely and two serious adverse events were reported for one participant.
- Symptoms improved significantly: Eating Disorder Examination scores dropped from baseline with a large effect size (d = 0.98) at the six-month mark, research suggests.
- Motivation also shifted: Scores on the Readiness and Motivation Questionnaire showed significant improvement at the 12-month point (d = 0.65), though individual responses varied considerably.
- Safety signals were mixed: Psilocybin was generally well tolerated, with headache, nausea, and dizziness as the most common events, but one participant experienced two serious adverse events (suicide attempts) in the six-to-twelve-month window.
- This is a starting point, not a conclusion: The authors call for larger, more rigorously controlled trials before any clinical conclusions can be drawn.
- Model
- Human
- Sample
- 21 adult females with anorexia nervosa
- Dose
- Three oral psilocybin (COMP360) sessions over 6 weeks in fixed order: 1 mg, 25 mg, 25 mg
- Design
- Single-blind, within-individual pilot; alongside talk therapy and adjunctive to treatment as usual
- Key outcome
- Significant improvement in EDE global scores (p < 0.0001, d = 0.98 at 6 months) and RMQ precontemplation scores (p = 0.0017, d = 0.65 at 12 months)
- Main limitation
- No control group, small all-female sample, large variation in individual responses, and two serious adverse events in one participant
What the Research Examined
This was a single-blind, within-individual pilot study led by Spriggs et al. at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Psychiatry, Imperial College London, and published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in July 2026. The team enrolled 21 adult females who had been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Every participant received the same fixed sequence of three oral psilocybin sessions (1 mg, then 25 mg, then 25 mg) across six weeks, alongside structured talk therapy and in addition to whatever standard care they were already receiving. The study tracked participants out to a remote 12-month follow-up, making it one of the longer observation windows in this emerging area. You can read the full abstract of the primary study on PubMed.
The primary clinical measures were the global Eating Disorder Examination Interview (EDE) and the Readiness and Motivation Questionnaire (RMQ) precontemplation subscale. Secondary outcomes included the EDE Questionnaire self-report version. Adverse events were tracked throughout. Because there was no control or placebo arm, improvements cannot be attributed to psilocybin alone; the combination of dosing, talk therapy, and continued standard care all contributed to whatever changes were observed. The within-individual design means every participant is compared to their own baseline rather than to a separate comparison group, which limits causal interpretation.
For anyone building a broader picture of where this compound sits in psychiatric research, our overview of psilocybin-assisted therapy research pulls together findings from multiple conditions and trial phases. The Imperial College team notes that anorexia nervosa carries among the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric condition and has few proven pharmacological treatments, which is part of what motivates early-stage investigation in this direction.
What the Findings Show
- Eating disorder symptoms at 6 months.Global EDE scores improved significantly relative to baseline (p < 0.0001, Cohen's d = 0.98), a large effect size, though individual variation was substantial.
- Motivation to change at 12 months.RMQ precontemplation scores showed significant improvement (p = 0.0017, Cohen’s d = 0.65) at the 12-month time point.
- Common adverse events.Headache, nausea, and dizziness were the most frequently reported events. All 21 participants tolerated psilocybin across the dosing sessions.
- Serious adverse events.Two serious adverse events, both suicide attempts, were reported for a single participant in the six-to-twelve-month period following the intervention.
The effect sizes reported here are numerically large, but they come from a within-individual design with no control arm, meaning the numbers reflect change from a person’s own baseline rather than change relative to a matched group receiving a different or no treatment. The authors themselves flag the large variation in how much individuals improved and how well they maintained those improvements across follow-up, which is an important caution against reading the aggregate statistics as uniformly representative of what participants experienced.
Can psilocybin therapy help with anorexia nervosa symptoms?
Early pilot data from 21 adult females suggest psilocybin therapy, combined with talk therapy and standard care, was associated with significant reductions in eating disorder symptoms and improved motivation to change. However, the study had no control group, responses varied widely, and one participant experienced serious adverse events.
What This Is, and What It Is Not
This is This is a small, single-blind, within-individual pilot study with no control arm, enrolling 21 adult females at a single research center.
This is not This study is not a randomized controlled trial and cannot establish that psilocybin alone caused the observed improvements. It does not represent a general population, cannot be generalized to males or other genders, and does not constitute medical advice or an established treatment protocol for anorexia nervosa.
Our Take
Anorexia nervosa can lock a person into a relationship with their own body that feels immovable, where the usual channels of insight and motivation stay closed. What draws our community’s attention here is not the numbers alone but the observation that motivation to change, one of the hardest things to shift in this condition, appeared to move meaningfully. Psilocybin as a sacrament has long been understood in contemplative traditions as something that loosens the grip of fixed self-narratives. This early science does not prove that, but it does suggest the question is worth pursuing with rigor, care, and humility about how much we still do not know.
If this research touches something in you, whether you carry your own relationship with eating, body, or self, or you hold space for someone who does, we invite you to sit with it slowly. The Grounding station of our Golden Path exists precisely for moments like this, when new information arrives before the heart has had time to catch up. There is no urgency here, only an open door. Come into our community, ask your questions, and let the conversation be part of the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many psilocybin sessions were used in the anorexia nervosa pilot?
Participants received three oral psilocybin sessions over six weeks. The first was a low dose of 1 mg, followed by two sessions at 25 mg each. All sessions were conducted alongside talk therapy and in addition to participants’ existing standard care.
Was psilocybin safe for people with anorexia nervosa in this study?
All 21 participants tolerated the dosing sessions, and common side effects were headache, nausea, and dizziness. One participant experienced two serious adverse events, both suicide attempts, in the six-to-twelve-month period after the intervention ended.
What eating disorder measures improved in the psilocybin pilot?
Global scores on the Eating Disorder Examination Interview improved significantly by six months, with a large effect size. Scores on the Readiness and Motivation Questionnaire also showed significant improvement at twelve months, though individual results varied considerably.
Who conducted this psilocybin and anorexia nervosa research?
The study was led by researchers at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, with co-authors from the University of Oxford, University of California San Francisco, and other institutions. It was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in July 2026.
Does this pilot study prove psilocybin treats anorexia nervosa?
No. This was a small pilot with no control group, so it cannot establish that psilocybin caused the improvements. The authors call for larger, rigorously controlled trials. The findings are preliminary and are not a basis for treatment decisions.
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