Therapeutic Effects of Ceremonial Ayahuasca Use for Methamphetamine Use Disorders and Other Mental Health Challenges: Case Studies in an Indigenous Community in Sonora, Mexico.
Anja Loizaga-Velder, Cecile Giovannetti, Ricardo Campoy Gomez, Teresa Eduwiges Castillo Valenzuela, Gloria Rachel Ochoa Jaime, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Olivia Marcus, Brian Rush
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2023 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2023.2255182 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case series (part of an ongoing observational study) Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | Members of the Yaqui tribe residing in Sonora, Mexico |
| Interventions | Ayahuasca Peyote Sweatlodge (temazcal) Medicinal plant preparations Individual psychotherapy Group sports Community meals Collaborative construction Art Crafts Collective music |
| Topics | Addiction Ayahuasca Depression |
| Keywords | Indigenous mental health Case studies Intercultural medicine Drug rehabilitation Native medicine Ancestral medicine Dependency treatment Plant medicine Entheogenic medicine Mental health psychological |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | Preliminary results from three case studies demonstrate therapeutic progress and improved psychometric outcomes, indicating promise for this intercultural therapeutic intervention. |
Abstract
This paper describes three case studies from an outpatient intercultural therapeutic program founded and run by Yaqui health professionals and traditional healers to serve members of the Yaqui tribe residing in Sonora, Mexico. This pilot therapeutic program has been designed specifically for Indigenous individuals, incorporating the ceremonial use of naturally derived psychedelics in addressing substance use disorders and other mental health issues. The program employs a community-based approach, integrating various traditional Indigenous healing practices like the sweatlodge (temazcal), medicinal plant preparations, and the ritualistic use of selected psychedelics from natural sources (such as ayahuasca, peyote, and secretions from Incilius alvarius). These approaches are complemented by culturally attuned group and individual psychotherapy sessions, as well as group sports, community meals, collaborative construction efforts for a permanent clinical infrastructure, and cultural engagements such as art, crafts, and collective music. To evaluate the program's efficacy, safety, and cultural implications, an ongoing observational study is being conducted by an international team of researchers. The preliminary results demonstrate therapeutic progress and improved psychometric outcomes observed in the three case studies presented, indicating promise for this intercultural therapeutic intervention.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on ayahuasca for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis induced by abuse of ayahuasca: a case report. A patient who had a psychotic episode after taking ayahuasca | 2021 | Case study | n = 1 |
| An Account of Healing Depression UsingAyahuascaPlant Teacher Medicine in a Santo Daime Ritual The author, a person who took ayahuasca in a Santo Daime ritual in Johannesburg, South... | 2013 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Gut-Mind Interactions in Psychedelic Healing: A Case Study Assessing the Effects of Huachuma and Ayahuasca on the Mind and Microbiome. 35-year-old female with prior psychedelic experience | 2025 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Psychedelics and substance use disorder treatment. International review of neurobiology 2025
- Preliminary results from a community-based ayahuasca-assisted mental health program among a Yaqui Indigenous population in Sonora, Mexico Journal of Psychedelic Studies January 24, 2025
- Psychedelics as pharmacotherapeutics for substance use disorders: A scoping review on clinical trials and perspectives on underlying neurobiology British Journal of Pharmacology September 2, 2025
- "Facing Death. . . Now, That's a Serious Thing to Confront" A Qualitative Analysis of Patient Perspectives on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for Cancer-Related Psychosocial Symptoms. Integrative Cancer Therapies 2025
- Intercultural pathways to indigenous mental health: the integration of ayahuasca in community care in the Yaqui intercultural medicine clinic in Sonora, Mexico Frontiers in Public Health October 9, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 19
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2013
- Ayahuasca: Psychological and Physiologic Effects, Pharmacology and Potential Uses in Addiction and Mental Illness Current Neuropharmacology March 2, 2018
- Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2014
- Ethical principles of traditional Indigenous medicine to guide western psychedelic research and practice. Lancet Regional Health. Americas February 1, 2023
and 14 more in the library