Well-being, problematic alcohol consumption and acute subjective drug effects in past-year ayahuasca users: a large, international, self-selecting online survey
In a large international self‑selecting online survey (n = 96,901), past‑year ayahuasca users (n = 527) reported greater well‑being than both classic psychedelic users and non‑psychedelic drug users, and less problematic alcohol use than classic psychedelic users. Ayahuasca’s acute subjective effects typically lasted about six hours and were strongest around one hour after consumption.
Authors
- Jamie Hallak
- Rafael dos Santos
- Jaime Crippa
Published
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a natural psychedelic brew, which contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Its potential as a psychiatric medicine has recently been demonstrated and its non-medical use around the world appears to be growing. We aimed to investigate well-being and problematic alcohol use in ayahuasca users, and ayahuasca’s subjective effects. An online, self-selecting, global survey examining patterns of drug use was conducted in 2015 and 2016 (n = 96,901). Questions were asked about: use of ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and magic mushrooms; demographics, current well-being and past-year problematic alcohol use of past-year ayahuasca users and comparison drug users; and subjective effects of ayahuasca and comparison drugs. Ayahuasca users (n = 527) reported greater well-being than both classic psychedelic users (n = 18,138) and non-psychedelic drug-using respondents (n = 78,236). Ayahuasca users reported less problematic drinking than classic psychedelic users, although both groups reported greater problematic drinking than the other respondents. Ayahuasca’s acute subjective effects usually lasted for six hours and were most strongly felt one hour after consumption. Within our online, self-selecting survey, ayahuasca users reported better well-being than comparison groups and less problematic drinking than classic psychedelic users. Future longitudinal studies of international samples and randomised controlled trials are needed to dissect the effects of ayahuasca on these outcomes.
Research Summary of 'Well-being, problematic alcohol consumption and acute subjective drug effects in past-year ayahuasca users: a large, international, self-selecting online survey'
Introduction
Ayahuasca is a traditional Amazonian psychoactive brew containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) plus β-carboline monoamine oxidase inhibitors from Banisteriopsis caapi. Earlier observational and small uncontrolled clinical studies have suggested possible therapeutic benefits for mood and addiction, and long-term religious use has not been consistently linked to cognitive impairment, addiction or worse mental health. At the same time, non‑religious and tourist use appears to be increasing internationally, raising the need to characterise patterns of use and potential positive and negative outcomes across broader, non‑clinical populations. Lawn and colleagues set out to examine, in a large international self‑selecting online sample, the demographics of past‑year ayahuasca users, their current well‑being, past‑year problematic alcohol use and lifetime mental illness diagnoses relative to two comparison groups (past‑year users of classic psychedelics — LSD or psilocybin/magic mushrooms — and respondents who had not used these drugs in the past year). The investigators also explored acute subjective effects of ayahuasca among people whose most recent novel drug tried was ayahuasca, and carried out exploratory analyses stratified by whether respondents lived in countries with a historical tradition of ayahuasca use.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compounds
- Topics
- Authors
- APA Citation
Lawn, W., Hallak, J. E., Crippa, J. A., Dos Santos, R., Porffy, L., Barratt, M. J., Ferris, J. A., Winstock, A. R., & Morgan, C. J. A. (2017). Well-being, problematic alcohol consumption and acute subjective drug effects in past-year ayahuasca users: a large, international, self-selecting online survey. Scientific Reports, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14700-6
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