Well-being, problematic alcohol consumption and acute subjective drug effects in past-year ayahuasca users: a large, international, self-selecting online survey
Will Lawn, Jaime E. C. Hallak, José Alexandre S. Crippa, Rafael G. Dos Santos, Lilla Porffy, Monica J Barratt, Jason Ferris, Adam Winstock, Celia J. A. Morgan
Scientific Reports November 3, 2017 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14700-6 (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Randomized Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 96,901 |
| Population | Online, self-selecting global respondents who reported drug use patterns |
| Topics | Ayahuasca LSD |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Demographics |
| Citations | 78 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca users reported greater well-being and less problematic drinking than classic psychedelic users, but both psychedelic groups reported more problematic drinking than non-psychedelic drug users. |
Abstract
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.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT Adults reporting a single most memorable God encounter experience, either nondrug or... | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 4,285 |
| Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey. Ayahuasca users from more than 50 countries who completed an online survey | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 10,836 |
| Ayahuasca in adolescence: a preliminary psychiatric assessment. Adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect and matched controls | 2005 | Controlled cross-sectional study | n = 80 |
| Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users. Regular hoasca users from a U.S. branch of União do Vegetal and matched non-user controls | 2016 | Cross-sectional study | n = 57 |
| Indoleamine Hallucinogens in Cluster Headache: Results of the Clusterbusters Medication Use Survey People with cluster headache | 2015 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 496 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 62
- Sub-Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Empathy, Creative Thinking, and Subjective Well-Being Journal of Psychoactive Drugs February 26, 2019
- A placebo-controlled study of the effects of ayahuasca, set and setting on mental health of participants in ayahuasca group retreats Psychopharmacology March 10, 2021
- Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience:N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) ACS Chemical Neuroscience July 23, 2018
- Assessment of Alcohol and Tobacco Use Disorders Among Religious Users of Ayahuasca Frontiers in Psychiatry April 24, 2018
- Ayahuasca and Public Health: Health Status, Psychosocial Well-Being, Lifestyle, and Coping Strategies in a Large Sample of Ritual Ayahuasca Users Journal of Psychoactive Drugs February 7, 2019
and 57 more in the library
Cites 24
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry March 1, 2015
- Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology December 11, 2015
- Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2013
and 19 more in the library