Depressive DisordersMajor Depressive Disorder (MDD)Anxiety DisordersNeuroimaging & Brain MeasuresAyahuasca

Effects of ayahuasca on mental health and quality of life in naïve users: A longitudinal and cross-sectional study combination

This combined longitudinal and cross-sectional study found that first-time ayahuasca users (n = 40), nearly half of whom met criteria for a psychiatric disorder at baseline, experienced significant reductions in depression and overall psychopathology after use, with over 80% of those cases showing clinical improvement that persisted at six months. Long-term users (n = 23) also showed lower depression and higher self‑transcendence and quality of life compared with naïve peers, suggesting potential mental-health benefits that warrant further controlled research.

Authors

  • Jamie Hallak
  • Rafael dos Santos
  • Gonzalo Ona

Published

Scientific Reports
individual Study

Abstract

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic decoction used as a traditional medicine in several Amazonian regions. The ritualistic use of ayahuasca has spread throughout many countries, making it necessary to study its risks and benefits. Two sub-studies were designed for this investigation. In sub-study 1, a psychiatric interview and a battery of questionnaires were administered to subjects (n = 40) before their first ayahuasca use. Two follow-ups were conducted at 1 and 6 months. In sub-study 2, the same interview and battery of questionnaires were administered to long-term ayahuasca users (n = 23) and their scores were compared with those of the ayahuasca-naïve group. In the first assessment, nearly half (45%) of the naïve users were found to meet the diagnostic criteria for a psychiatric disorder. After the ayahuasca use, more than 80% of those subjects showed clinical improvements that persisted at 6 months. The questionnaires showed significant reductions in depression and psychopathology. Regarding sub-study 2, long-term users showed lower depression scores, and higher scores for self-transcendence and quality of life, as compared to their peers in sub-study 1. Further controlled and observational naturalistic studies assessing the eventual risks and potential benefits of ayahuasca are warranted.

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Research Summary of 'Effects of ayahuasca on mental health and quality of life in naïve users: A longitudinal and cross-sectional study combination'

Introduction

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive decoction combining β-carboline-containing Banisteriopsis caapi and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT)-containing Psychotria viridis. Previous observational and experimental work has suggested anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of ayahuasca and DMT, together with neuroimaging evidence implicating frontal, limbic and default mode network (DMN) circuitry in its action. Many prior studies, however, have recruited long-term ritual users, raising concerns about selection bias: people who tolerate or benefit from ayahuasca may be over-represented in retrospective samples, and controlled trials in ritual settings are difficult to conduct. Clinical trials in patients with major depressive disorder have shown rapid antidepressant effects after a single controlled dose, but questions remain about effects in first-time, non-clinical users and about mid-term outcomes in naturalistic, ritualistic contexts. Jiménez-Garrido and colleagues designed a two-part observational study to address this gap. Sub-study 1 was a longitudinal assessment of ayahuasca-naïve participants, with psychiatric interviews and questionnaires administered before their first ceremony and at 1- and 6-month follow-ups. Sub-study 2 used a cross-sectional comparison, contrasting the baseline scores of the naïve cohort with a sample of long-term ayahuasca users, aiming to distinguish changes attributable to ayahuasca exposure from pre-existing differences. The combined approach sought to characterise mental health and quality-of-life outcomes in naïve users and to explore whether long-term use is associated with distinct psychological profiles.

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Study Details

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Effects of ayahuasca on mental health and quality... — Research Summary & Context | Blossom