Overview

• The survey gathered responses from over 7,600 individuals across 83 countries, making it the most comprehensive study of drug use in eating disorders to date.
• Self-medication with cannabis and psychedelics earned the highest ratings for relieving core eating-disorder symptoms.
• Commonly prescribed drugs such as antidepressants and stimulants were seen as largely ineffective for eating-disorder symptoms despite benefits for general mental health and specific subgroups.
• Alcohol, nicotine and cocaine were reported to worsen both eating-disorder symptoms and overall mental health.
• The University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative and the Inside Out Institute are moving from observational findings to formal clinical evaluation with upcoming psilocybin trials for anorexia nervosa and a near-complete cannabidiol pilot study.