Ayahuasca Use and Reported Effects on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: An International Cross-Sectional Study of 11,912 Consumers

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62156489%3A43310%2F21%3A43919298" target="_blank" >RIV/62156489:43310/21:43919298 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100098" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100098</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100098" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100098</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Ayahuasca Use and Reported Effects on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: An International Cross-Sectional Study of 11,912 Consumers

Original language description

Background: Ayahuasca is a psychoactive Amazonian brew which has emerging data indicating that it has antidepressant and anxiolytic properties. Methods: This paper uses data from the Global Ayahuasca Project (GAP), which was undertaken across 2017-2020 and involved 11912 people, to examine the perceived effects of Ayahuasca consumption on affective symptoms. The study focused on the subsample reporting depression or anxiety diagnoses at time of Ayahuasca consumption. Results: Of participants reporting depression (n = 1571) or anxiety (n = 1125) at the time of consuming Ayahuasca, 78% reported that their depression was either &apos;very much&apos; improved (46%), or &apos;completely resolved&apos; (32%); while 70% of those with anxiety reported that their symptoms were &apos;very much&apos; improved (54%), or &apos;completely resolved&apos; (16%). A range of factors were associated with greater reported affective symptoms improvement, including subjective mystical experience, number of Ayahuasca sessions, and number of personal psychological insights experienced. 2.7% and 4.5% of drinkers with depression or anxiety, respectively, reported worsening of symptoms. Limitations: This study is recognized as a cross-sectional analysis which cannot assess treatment efficacy. Selection bias may exist due to survey-respondents with favorable experience being potentially biased towards participation. Conclusions: Drinkers of Ayahuasca in naturalistic settings perceived remarkable benefits for their affective symptoms in this survey assessment. There is no obvious evidence of negative mental health effects being associated with long-term consumption. Additional randomized controlled trial evidence is required to establish the efficacy of Ayahuasca in affective disorders, and to understand the worsened symptoms reported by a small percentage of drinkers.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50102 - Psychology, special (including therapy for learning, speech, hearing, visual and other physical and mental disabilities);

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2021

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Affective Disorders Reports

ISSN

2666-9153

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

4

Issue of the periodical within the volume

April

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

8

Pages from-to

100098

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85105396696