Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada
Gerald Thomas, Philippe Lucas, N. Rielle Capler, Kenneth W. Tupper, Gina Martin
Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2013 DOI: 10.2174/15733998113099990003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rural aboriginal population |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca-assisted therapy |
| Topics | Addiction Ayahuasca Cannabis Meditation |
| Keywords | Clinical psychology Observational study Population |
| Citations | 327 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca-assisted therapy is associated with statistically significant improvements in factors related to problematic substance use. |
Abstract
This form of ayahuasca-assisted therapy appears to be associated with statistically significant improvements in several factors related to problematic substance use among a rural aboriginal population. These findings suggest participants may have experienced positive psychological and behavioral changes in response to this therapeutic approach, and that more rigorous research of ayahuasca-assisted therapy for problematic substance use is warranted.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for 3 syntheses in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Ayahuasca-assisted therapy was associated with statistically significant improvements in several factors related to problematic substance use.
Synthesized
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State of the evidence: Addiction Supports
Ayahuasca-assisted therapy was associated with statistically significant improvements in several factors related to problematic substance use.
Synthesized
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State of the evidence: Ayahuasca Supports
Ayahuasca-assisted therapy was associated with statistically significant improvements in several factors related to problematic substance use.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on ayahuasca for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca Regular ayahuasca users (jungle-based and urban-based) and matched controls | 2010 | Observational cohort | n = 127 |
| Short-Term Treatment Effects of a Substance Use Disorder Therapy Involving Traditional Amazonian Medicine. Male patients with substance use disorder admitted to the Takiwasi Center | 2019 | Observational cohort | n = 36 |
| Long-Term Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Associated with Naturalistic Ayahuasca Consumption. Adults with no prior exposure to ayahuasca participating in neo-shamanic ayahuasca... | 2025 | Prospective cohort study | n = 66 |
| The therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in depression, generalized anxiety, and substance use disorders: modulation of the depressive burden in a longitudinal study. Adults with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, or substance use disorders treated... | 2026 | Longitudinal observational study | n = 280 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 260
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- Set and setting, psychedelics and the placebo response: An extra-pharmacological perspective on psychopharmacology Journal of Psychopharmacology November 16, 2016
- Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern‐era clinical studies Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica October 30, 2020
- LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change. Human Brain Mapping May 6, 2016
and 255 more in the library
Cites 27
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness Journal of Psychopharmacology September 28, 2011
- Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later Journal of Psychopharmacology May 30, 2008
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Psychopharmacology March 8, 2012
- Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease February 1, 1996
and 22 more in the library