Ayahuasca in adolescence: a preliminary psychiatric assessment.
Dartiu Xavier Da Silveira, Charles S. Grob, Marlene Dobkin De Rios, Enrique Lopez, Luisa K Alonso, Cristiane Tacla, Evelyn Doering-Silveira
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2005 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2005.10399792 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect and matched controls |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Psychedelic medicine Entheogenic practice Adolescent mental health Youth well-being Teenage psychological health Religious affiliation Spiritual practice Faith-based community Protective factors Resilience |
| Citations | 111 |
| Key findings | Adolescents who consume ayahuasca within a religious context show lower frequencies of anxiety, body dysmorphism, and attentional problems compared to matched controls. |
Abstract
Ayahuasca is believed to be harmless for those (including adolescents) drinking it within a religious setting. Nevertheless controlled studies on the mental/ psychiatric status of ritual hallucinogenic ayahuasca concoction consumers are still lacking. In this study, 40 adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect were compared with 40 controls matched on sex, age, and educational background for psychiatric symptomatology. Screening scales for depression, anxiety, alcohol consumption patterns (abuse), attentional problems, and body dysmorphic disorders were used. It was found that, compared to controls, considerable lower frequencies of positive scoring for anxiety, body dismorphism, and attentional problems were detected among ayahuasca-using adolescents despite overall similar psychopathological profiles displayed by both study groups. Low frequencies of psychiatric symptoms detected among adolescents consuming ayahuasca within a religious context may reflect a protective effect due to their religious affiliation. However further studies on the possible interference of other variables in the outcome are necessary.