People With Eating Disorders Rate Cannabis and Psychedelics as Most Helpful for Their Symptoms | Research

The takeaway

In a survey of over 6,600 people with eating disorders, cannabis and psychedelics received the highest ratings for improving ED symptoms, while prescription antidepressants were rated as relatively ineffective for those same symptoms.

People with eating disorders interested in understanding patient-reported experiences with various substances, and researchers exploring new treatment avenues.

Cannabis and psychedelics rated highest for ED symptom improvement

What the researchers found

Among 6,612 respondents with eating disorders, cannabis and psychedelics received the highest ratings for improving ED symptoms specifically. Prescription antidepressants were rated highly for general mental health but not for eating disorder symptoms, with exceptions for fluoxetine (bulimia nervosa) and lisdexamfetamine (binge-eating disorder). Alcohol, nicotine, and tobacco were rated as the most harmful substances.

Why it matters

Effective pharmacotherapies for eating disorders remain limited. This large-scale survey captures the lived experience of thousands of people who have tried both prescription and non-prescription substances for their conditions, offering insights into what patients themselves find most helpful.

The numbers in context

6,612 respondents (mean age 24.3, 94% female). ED breakdown: anorexia nervosa (40.8%), bulimia nervosa (19%), binge-eating disorder (11.4%), AVFRID (8.9%), undiagnosed (37.7%). Depression comorbidity: 65.5%.

How the study worked

International online survey (MED-FED) advertised via social media, forums, and clinical services. Recruited adults self-reporting an ED or disordered eating from November 2022 to May 2023. 7,648 recruited, 6,612 completed demographics, 5,123 completed the full survey. Participants rated each substance on a 5-point Likert scale for ED symptom improvement, mental health benefits, and side effects.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-report and retrospective design. Self-selected sample recruited through social media. Predominantly female and young. 37.7% were self-diagnosed. No verification of actual substance use patterns or clinical outcomes. Perceived efficacy does not equal measured efficacy.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary: large sample but self-selected, self-report survey with no clinical verification of outcomes.

When this study was published

Published in 2025, with survey data from 2022-2023.

The bigger picture

The high prevalence of substance use among people with eating disorders suggests self-medication is common when conventional treatments fall short. The finding that cannabis and psychedelics are perceived as the most helpful for ED symptoms specifically (not just general mental health) points to potential therapeutic pathways worth rigorous clinical investigation.

Questions still open

Would cannabis show efficacy for eating disorders in controlled clinical trials?
What mechanisms might explain why people with EDs perceive cannabis as helpful?
Could cannabis worsen certain ED subtypes while helping others?

Common questions

Do people with eating disorders find cannabis helpful?

In this large survey, respondents rated cannabis as one of the most helpful substances for their eating disorder symptoms specifically. However, this reflects self-reported perceptions, not clinically measured outcomes.

Are antidepressants effective for eating disorders?

Survey respondents generally rated antidepressants as helpful for overall mental health but not for their eating disorder symptoms. Exceptions were fluoxetine for bulimia nervosa and lisdexamfetamine for binge-eating disorder.

Read the original research

Prescription and Nonprescription Drug Use Among People With Eating Disorders.

JAMA network open, 8(7), e2522406

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Rodan, Sarah-Catherine; Maguire, Sarah; Meez, Noah; Greenstien, Kayla; Zartarian, Garen; Mills, Katherine L; Suraev, Anastasia; Bedoya-Pérez, Miguel A; McGregor, Iain S. (2025). Prescription and Nonprescription Drug Use Among People With Eating Disorders.. JAMA network open, 8(7), e2522406. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.22406