Symptom specificity of ayahuasca's effect on depressive symptoms
In a retrospective study of over 120 participants completing the CESD‑10 one month before and after ayahuasca use, the authors report greater reductions in affective symptoms (hope, depressed mood, happiness) than in cognitive, interpersonal or somatic symptoms (sleep, loneliness, concentration). This symptom-specific pattern parallels serotonergic antidepressants and suggests ayahuasca may be especially helpful for rapidly alleviating affective aspects of depression.
Authors
- Michael Earleywine
Published
Abstract
Background
Ayahuasca's effects on symptoms of depression have generated considerable optimism. Clients frequently report more concern about some symptoms than others, and available treatments alter symptoms differentially. Few studies address the symptom specificity of this psychoactive brew.
Aims
We examined self-reported effects of ayahuasca on the individual symptoms of depression assessed by the 10-item short-form of Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression (CESD-10).
Methods
We asked over 120 participants to complete a retrospective assessment of CESD-10 symptoms one month before and one month after using ayahuasca.
Results
Participants indicated that ayahuasca had a larger influence on affective symptoms like hope, depressed mood, and happiness, than cognitive, interpersonal, and somatic symptoms like restless sleep, loneliness, and difficulty focusing.
Conclusions
Potential clients might appreciate identifying if different treatments provide more relief for some depressive symptoms than others. We examined retrospective reports of ayahuasca's potential for differential impact. Those eager to alter hope, happiness, and other affective symptoms will likely find ayahuasca more helpful than those who want an intervention for restless sleep, loneliness, or trouble focusing. This symptom specificity parallels the effects of serotonergic antidepressant medications, suggesting that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy using ayahuasca might have considerable appeal for those who seek comparable relief but would rather not use prescription serotonergic medications. Jumpstarting psychotherapy with the rapid onset of ayahuasca-induced relief also appears to have potential.
Research Summary of 'Symptom specificity of ayahuasca's effect on depressive symptoms'
Introduction
Major Depressive Disorder is common, costly and frequently recurrent, and available pharmacological and psychological treatments leave a substantial minority of people unimproved. The introduction summarises drawbacks of standard care: antidepressant medications can cause adverse effects and withdrawal, psychotherapy can be time-consuming and inaccessible, and both approaches often take weeks to produce relief. The authors note that different treatments can alter particular symptoms unevenly and that clients often prioritise certain symptoms (for example, returning to work or family functioning) over others, so understanding symptom-level effects could inform treatment choices. Sykes Gilbert and colleagues frame ayahuasca — a traditional Amazonian brew containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) plus plant-derived reversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors — as a candidate rapid-acting intervention that has shown clinically meaningful improvements in depressive symptoms after a single administration. The current study aims to examine whether self-reported changes after ayahuasca use vary across individual depressive symptoms as measured by the CES-D-10, testing the hypothesis that affective/positive-affect symptoms (e.g. hopelessness, happiness) might show larger change than cognitive, interpersonal or somatic symptoms (e.g. sleep problems, concentration). The authors argue that symptom-specific information could help clients and clinicians select interventions aligned with particular treatment priorities and that rapid onset of effect might be useful for jump-starting psychotherapy.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
- Topics
- Author
- APA Citation
Gilbert, C. S., Earleywine, M., Mian, M. N., & Altman, B. R. (2021). Symptom specificity of ayahuasca's effect on depressive symptoms. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 5(1), 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2021.00165
References (9)
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Dos Santos, R. G., Osório, F. L., Hallak, J. E. · Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo) (2018)
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