Big news in anxiety research! Researchers reported that a single dose of MM120 (a form of LSD) lowered anxiety in 198 adults with generalized anxiety disorder, with scores falling up to 6.0 points more than placebo; that LSD-assisted therapy produced long-lasting reductions in anxiety up to 16 weeks in 42 people; and that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy brought rapid, durable improvement in social anxiety for autistic adults, with similar results at six months. Ayahuasca even improved how people rated their own public speaking! Encouraging to see careful research bringing such promising results for people living with anxiety.
Key studies
Study 1. MM120 (lysergide) in 198 adults with generalized anxiety disorder (Robison, 2025)
A single dose of MM120 (LSD) cut anxiety scores by up to 6.0 points more than placebo in 198 adults with generalized anxiety disorder!
In a phase 2b, double-blind trial of 198 adults with moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder, researchers reported dose-dependent anxiety reductions four weeks after a single dose of MM120 (lysergide, a form of LSD): HAM-A scores fell 5.0 and 6.0 points more than with placebo in the two higher-dose groups, where the minimal clinically important difference was 2.5 points! Participants at 22 US research sites were randomly assigned to one of four dose levels or placebo, and the authors said the results support the dose-dependent efficacy of MM120 and inform the dose selection for phase 3 pivotal trials.
“In participants with moderate to severe GAD, a single dose of MM120 produced a dose-dependent reduction in anxiety.”
Abstract of the published study (text from Europe PMC), key sentence highlighted in yellow. Source: Robison R, Barrow R, Conant C, et al. Single Treatment With MM120 (Lysergide) in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2025;334(15):1358-1372. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2025.13481
Study 2. LSD-assisted therapy in 42 people with anxiety, some with a life-threatening illness (Holze, 2023)
LSD-assisted therapy lowered anxiety scores by 16.2 points more than placebo, with reductions lasting up to 16 weeks!
In a two-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 42 people with anxiety, some with a life-threatening illness, researchers reported significantly lower anxiety scores up to 16 weeks after LSD-assisted therapy (Cohen's d = -1.18, p = .007), with similar reductions in depression ratings (d = -1.1). Positive acute drug effects and mystical-type experiences correlated with the long-term reductions in anxiety, and the authors concluded LSD produced long-lasting and notable reductions in anxiety and comorbid depression symptoms!
“LSD produced long-lasting and notable reductions in anxiety and comorbid depression symptoms up to 16 weeks.”
Abstract of the published study (text from Europe PMC), key sentence highlighted in yellow. Source: Holze F, Gasser P, Müller F, et al. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Therapy in Patients With Anxiety With and Without a Life-Threatening Illness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Study. Biol Psychiatry. 2023;93(3):215-223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.025
Study 3. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in 12 autistic adults with social anxiety (Danforth, 2018)
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy brought rapid and durable improvement in social anxiety for autistic adults, with a very large effect size (d = 1.4)!
In a double-blind pilot trial of 12 autistic adults with marked to very severe social anxiety, researchers reported significantly greater improvement in social anxiety scores with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy than with placebo one month after the second session (p = 0.037, Cohen's d = 1.4), with similar positive results at six months (p = 0.036, d = 1.1). Social anxiety remained the same or continued to improve slightly for most MDMA participants after the active treatment phase, and the researchers described the placebo-subtracted effect size as very large!
“This pilot trial demonstrated rapid and durable improvement in social anxiety symptoms in autistic adults following MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.”
Abstract of the published study (text from Europe PMC), key sentence highlighted in yellow. Source: Danforth AL, Grob CS, Struble C, et al. Reduction in social anxiety after MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with autistic adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018;235(11):3137-3148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-018-5010-9
Study 4. Ayahuasca in 17 people with social anxiety disorder (dos Santos, 2021)
Ayahuasca significantly improved speech-performance self-perception versus placebo in 17 people with social anxiety disorder!
In a pilot, proof-of-concept randomized trial of 17 people with social anxiety disorder, researchers reported that ayahuasca significantly improved participants' own ratings of their speech performance during a public-speaking test compared with placebo. The effects occurred independent of task-related anxiety, the authors suggested ayahuasca could specifically improve the cognitive aspect of speech performance, and ayahuasca was reported as well tolerated!
“Compared with placebo, ayahuasca significantly improved self-perception of speech performance”
Abstract of the published study (text from Europe PMC), key sentence highlighted in yellow. Source: Dos Santos RG, Osório FL, Rocha JM, et al. Ayahuasca Improves Self-perception of Speech Performance in Subjects With Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot, Proof-of-Concept, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2021;41(5):540-550. https://doi.org/10.1097/jcp.0000000000001428
Related reading
- Weston NM, Gibbs D, Bird CIV, et al. Historic psychedelic drug trials and the treatment of anxiety disorders. Depress Anxiety. 2020;37(12):1261-1279. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23065 — Reports that 94 of 145 (65%) historic cases of anxiety showed improvement, ranging from moderate improvement to full recovery, and calls the results encouraging.
- Bahji A, Lunsky I, Gutierrez G, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Four Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for Adults with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2025;57(1):1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2023.2278586 — Pools 18 studies and reports psychedelic therapies were well tolerated, with a large effect size for depression symptoms with psilocybin (g = -1.92).
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This page summarizes published research for education only. It is not medical advice. Any change to a medication remains the decision of that person’s own prescriber.
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