lsd representation for anxiety in mental health treatment
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Summary: Yes, LSD can reduce anxiety in a clinical setting, when administered as a controlled medication at an optimal dose that minimizes adverse events and maximizes symptom reduction. The medication, called MM120 or lysergide, is identical to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which achieved widespread notoriety in experimental psychology during the 1960s.

Key Points:

  • MM120, a.k.a. lysergide or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), was first synthesized in 1938, with psychoactive properties discovered in 1943.
  • LSD became a focus of experimental psychology study due to its power to alter perception of reality in the human brain, i.e. its psychotropic properties.
  • LSD also became a recreational drug common in the psychedelic social movement in the 1960s, influenced by prominent advocates such as Timothy Leary of Havard University
  • New research shows LSD can reduce anxiety symptoms for people diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Basic Facts and Common Symptoms

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is defined as follows:

“A chronic condition marked by persistent, excessive anxiety and difficulty controlling everyday worries.”

Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the world, with over 350 million people reporting an anxiety diagnosis at least once during their lives. In the U.S., we see the following prevalence of anxiety and anxiety disorders reported by the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) and the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2024 (NSDUH)

Among adults 18+:

  • Lifetime diagnosis: ~30%
  • Past-year diagnosis: ~20%
    • Mild: 44%
    • Moderate: 34%
    • Severe: 23%
  • Past two weeks:
    • Mild: 14%
    • Moderate: 5%
    • Severe: 3%

Among adolescents 12-17:

  • Lifetime: ~30%
  • Past two weeks:
    • Mild: 23%
    • Moderate: 10.6%
    • Severe: 8.2%

The most common symptoms of GAD include:

  • Excess worry
  • Feeling on edge all the time
  • Problems concentrating
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Insomnia

Chronic medical, mental, and behavioral problems associated with GAD include, but are not limited to:

  • Somatic illness, i.e. preoccupation with physical symptoms that increases worry
  • Other anxiety disorders
  • Depressive disorders
  • Trauma-related disorders

Chronic, untreated anxiety can lead to negative outcomes across various areas of life, including basic daily functioning, work, school, and overall quality of life and wellbeing. Now let’s take a look at the most common treatments currently in use to reduce the symptoms of anxiety.

Treatment for Anxiety: What Works?

Current first-line treatments for anxiety include:

  • Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work for some patients, but unwanted side effects and limited efficacy increase non-adherence and voluntary discontinuation is common.
  • Benzodiazepines are effective in relieving acute panic attacks and short-term management of symptoms, but risk of misuse, dependence, and tolerance limit practical use for long-term anxiety treatment.
  • Psychotherapy, alone or in combination with medication, is effective for many patients, but satisfactory response to psychotherapy varies among people with anxiety.

In addition, it’s important to know that although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any new medications for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in close to twenty years, close to half of patients who receive treatment for anxiety report unsatisfactory treatment response.

That’s what makes this study relevant: current treatment is effective for some, but not all, people with anxiety. Since anxiety is the most common mental health disorders in the world, it’s incumbent upon members of the medical research community to explore new, effective, evidence-based medications for generalized anxiety disorder, and answer the question of whether LSD can reduce anxiety symptoms when delivered in a safe, controlled, clinical setting.

New Study: Can a Single Dose of LSD Reduce Anxiety Symptoms?

In September 2025, a group of mental health scientists published a preliminary report from a clinical trial called “Single Treatment With MM120 (Lysergide) in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial” that posed this research question:

“Does MM120 (lysergide D-tartrate) demonstrate dose-dependent efficacy in adults with moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder?”

This is a significant study for several reasons:

  1. The molecule in question – MM120 – is LSD, which became well-known not as a therapeutic medication, but as a recreational drug.
  2. In this study, researchers examined the effectiveness of a single dose of LSD to reduce anxiety, without accompanying psychotherapy.
  3. Research into the class of medications colloquially recognized as psychedelic recreational drugs has gained momentum after the approval of the medications with psychedelic properties, such as ketamine and esketamine.

To conduct the study, researchers recruited 198 adults between the ages of 18 and 74 years diagnosed with moderate to severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), as determined by scores equal to or greater than 20 on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Researchers randomly assigned participants into five groups, with each group receiving a single dose of MM120 or placebo:

  • 25 µg MM120: 39 patients
  • 50 µg MM120: 40 patients
  • 100 µg MM120: 40 patients
  • 200 µg MM120: 40 patients
  • Placebo: 39 patients

Note: µg means microgram, or 1/1000th of a milligram, or 1/1,000,000th of a gram.

On dosing day, in a private, comfortable room, the medical team administered participants with one of the doses listed above, then observed for 12 hours. Participants were allowed to eat, drink, listen to music, read, write, draw, and move around the room freely, or sit, recline, and relax.

Participants did not receive any form of psychotherapy or counseling.

The medical team – supervised by a licensed physician – monitored vital signs throughout the 12-hour observation period. Beginning 8 hours after receiving the medication, the medical team assessed participants every hour in order to record and report the “resolution of the drug effect.”

Follow-up visits to gauge efficacy and safety occurred on Day 2, then at 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post-dosage. Researchers focused on the following primary outcome:

Any significant decrease in anxiety symptoms at 4-week follow-up, defined as a 2.5-point decrease in scores on the HAM-A.

Let’s take a look at what they found.

MM120, Lysergide, a.k.a. LSD for Anxiety: The Results

We’ll get straight to the outcomes.

Here’s what the research team reported, by dosage level, for each follow-up visit after the initial dosing session.

Change in HAM-D Anxiety Scores for Four Doses of MM120

One Week:

  • 25 µg: 4.3-point decrease
  • 50 µg: 2.5-point decrease
  • 100 µg: 8.1-point decrease
  • 200 µg: 6.0-point decrease

Two Weeks:

  • 25 µg: 3.4-point decrease
  • 50 µg: 1.5-point decrease
  • 100 µg: 7.1-point decrease
  • 200 µg: 7.5-point decrease

Four Weeks:

  • 25 µg: 1.2-point decrease
  • 50 µg: 1.8-point decrease
  • 100 µg: 5.0-point decrease
  • 200 µg: 6.0-point decrease

Eight weeks:

  • 25 µg: 2.9-point decrease
  • 50 µg: 0.85-point decrease
  • 100 µg: 4.3-point decrease
  • 200 µg: 5.5-point decrease

Twelve weeks:

  • 25 µg: 4.3-point decrease
  • 50 µg: 3.2-point decrease
  • 100 µg: 7.7-point decrease
  • 200 µg: 7.4-point decrease

Keep in mind that the researchers focused on Week 4 to determine efficacy. We can see that at Week 4, patients in the 100 µg and the 200 µg dosage groups showed reductions of 5 points and 6 points respectively, which means they achieved clinically and statistically significant reductions in anxiety symptoms.

But is it safe?

Next, we’ll review any adverse events associated with the medication.

Problems, Adverse Reactions Associated with LSD for Anxiety

Safety and tolerability is a major concern with new medications, and particularly with psychedelic/psychotropic medications such as MM120. Both their reputation as recreational substances and their psychoactive properties mean their safety profile must be accurately recorded, reported, and reviewed.

Here’s what they found:

Adverse Events Associated with MM120 (LSD) for Anxiety by Dosage

  • 25 µg:
    • Mild: 18
    • Moderate: 12
    • Severe: 0
  • 50 µg:
    • Mild: 14
    • Moderate: 20
    • Severe: 2
  • 100 µg:
    • Mild: 15
    • Moderate: 23
    • Severe: 1
  • 200 µg:
    • Mild: 12
    • Moderate: 28
    • Severe: 0

The most common adverse events associated with MM120 included:

  • Changes in visual perception, i.e. illusions/hallucinations:
    • 18 patients at 25 µg, 14 patients at 50 µg, 15 patients at 100 µg, and 12 patients at 200 µg.
  • Nausea:
    • 3 patients at 25 µg, 11 patients at 50 µg, 16 patients at 100 µg, and 24 patients at 200 µg.
  • Headache:
    • 5 patients at 25 µg, 9 patients at 50 µg, 14 patients at 100 µg, and 11 patients at 200 µg.
  • Euphoria:
    • 2 patients at 25 µg, 5 patients at 50 µg, 11 patients at 100 µg, and 6 patients at 200 µg.

In addition, a small number of patients reported dilated pupils (mydriasis) and excess sweating (hyperhidrosis). The three severe adverse events included one patient at 50 µg feeling intoxicated, one patient at 50 µg reporting depression, and one patient at 100 µg feeling intoxicated. Participants reported mild/moderate adverse events on the day they received the medication, all of which resolved/disappeared before the end of the 12-hour test and observation window.

We’ll discuss these results below.

MM120, a.k.a. Lysergide, a.k.a. LSD Can Reduce Anxiety When Administered Under Medical Supervision in a Safe, Clinical Setting

Here’s how the study authors characterize the adverse events in terms of dosage and outcomes:

“Most participants who received 100 µg of MM120 experienced mild to moderate AEs, including perceptual changes and nausea. The 200-µg dose of MM120 was associated with more frequent AEs without improvements in efficacy.”

And here’s what they concluded, based on a careful review of the safety and efficacy data:

“These findings support the selection of 100-µg dose of MM120 for pivotal trials to assess its efficacy, durability, and safety in the treatment of GAD.”

For perspective, we’ll offer the input from an editorial published by the American Medical Association (AMA):

“This work has the potential to make significant contributions to the emerging field of psychedelic drug research. It is the first study to evaluate the dose-dependent efficacy of MM120 for anxiety, specifically examining the anxiolytic effects of four different single doses without psychotherapy.”

The author also addresses the renewed interest in psychedelics that led to this research:

“It has become increasingly clear that, despite numerous unanswered questions and methodological challenges, psychedelic agents are experiencing a renaissance as potential treatments for alleviating symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and other conditions.”

That’s true: this is a new movement in mental health treatment, which builds on research that began over50 years ago.

How This Medication Might Help People With Anxiety: Reduce Cost, Reduce Time-in-Treatment

First, let’s recognize that if a single dose of medication can result in clinically significant reductions in the symptoms of mental health disorder for a month after dosage, that would be an important step forward in mental health treatment. And if a single dose of MM120 can reduce symptoms of GAD for a month – or longer, according to the data above – then that would be an important step forward in treatment for generalized anxiety disorder specifically, and anxiety treatment in general.

The next step for this medication is Phase 3 Pivotal Trials, wherein:

  • Researchers rigorously test safety
  • Researchers rigorously test effectiveness
  • Large numbers of patients participate
  • Trials occur at multiple test sites
  • Researchers compare outcomes to the current standard of care

If this phase of trials shows a medication is safe, effective, and can improve the overall standard of care for a specific disease or disorder, then it may receive FDA approval. Then doctors can prescribe it to patients the way they prescribe any medication: after a review of the risks and benefits of the medication.

We’ll keep an eye on any news about these Phase 3 Pivotal Trials, and when we learn anything new, we’ll report it here right away.

About Angus Whyte

Angus Whyte has an extensive background in neuroscience, behavioral health, adolescent development, and mindfulness, including lab work in behavioral neurobiology and a decade of writing articles on mental health and mental health treatment. In addition, Angus brings twenty years of experience as a yoga teacher and experiential educator to his work for Crownview. He’s an expert at synthesizing complex concepts into accessible content that helps patients, providers, and families understand the nuances of mental health treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes and quality of life for all stakeholders.