Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
September 1, 2024
Brian Rush, Olivia Marcus, Sara García et al.
12 citations
This article focuses on the outcomes at 1 year post-treatment of a naturalistic evaluation of services provided through the Takiwasi Centre, an accredited Peruvian therapeutic community offering an ayahuasca-assisted, integrative treatment program for addiction rehabilitation. Participants (n = 52) completed structured interviews and a battery of validated instruments. Outcome measures included...
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
November 2, 2023
Fernando Mendive, Cecile Giovannetti, Sara García Arce
4 citations
Background: There exists an underexploited opportunity to develop innovative therapeutic approaches to SUDs based upon the complementarity between modern and traditional health systems.Objectives: Illustrate the feasibility and potentiality of such an approach through the comprehensive description of Takiwasi Center's treatment model and program, where health concepts and practices from...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
May 19, 2021
Brian Rush, Olivia Marcus, Sara Mallén García et al.
26 citations
The present study describes the protocol for the Ayahuasca Treatment Outcome Project (ATOP) with a special focus on the evaluation of addiction treatment services provided through Takiwasi Center, the first ATOP study site. The goal of the project is to assess treatment outcomes and understand the therapeutic mechanisms of an Ayahuasca-assisted, integrative treatment model for addiction...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 4, 2020
Cecile Giovannetti, Sara García Arce, Brian Rush et al.
55 citations
Recent research highlighted the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, a psychoactive plant brew used ritually in traditional Amazonian medicine (TAM). The present study evaluates the impact of integrating ayahuasca and TAM with psychotherapy on depression and anxiety in an inpatient addiction treatment program. Male patients (N = 31) were evaluated pre and post treatment using the Beck Anxiety...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
2019
Ilana Berlowitz, Heinrich Walt, Christian Ghasarian et al.
70 citations
Chronic illness management today commonly involves alternative medicines. Substance use disorder (SUD), as a chronic psychosomatic illness, might benefit from a similar approach. The accredited Takiwasi Center offers such an SUD treatment program involving Amazonian medicine combined with psychotherapy. The current study assessed this integrative program's short-term therapeutic effects. We...
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
December 16, 2017
Ilana Berlowitz, Christian Ghasarian, Heinrich Walt et al.
39 citations
OBJECTIVE: The harmful use of psychoactive substances represents one of today's largest public health problems. Yet, in spite of its global relevance, current treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) is still not entirely successful. The purpose of this study was to investigate alternative treatments and conceptions from traditional Amazonian medicine adapted to SUDs. METHODS: We conducted...