Subjective Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca among College Students with Harmful Alcohol Use: Qualitative Analysis of Participant Accounts
Anna Beatriz Vicentini, Lucas Silva Rodrigues, Giordano Novak Rossi, Juliana Mendes Rocha, Lorena T. L. Guerra, José Augusto Silva Reis, Renan Massanobu Maekawa, Flávia de Lima Osório, José Carlos Bouso, Fabiana Pereira Santos, Beatriz Aparecida Passos Bismara Paranhos, Maurı́cio Yonamine, Jaime E. C. Hallak, Rafael G. Dos Santos
Psychoactives November 17, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives2040022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-blind study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6 |
| Population | University students with harmful alcohol use |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Dose | 1 mL/kg |
| Duration | 21-day follow-up |
| Topics | Addiction Anxiety Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Clinical psychology Alcohol abuse |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key points | Insights and positive emotions from ayahuasca may be linked to reduced alcohol consumption through internal transformation. |
Abstract
Alcohol is the recreational drug most frequently consumed, and its high frequency of use can lead to worsening social, psychological, and domestic issues. The age group most susceptible to alcohol dependence is 18- to 24-year-old youths, demanding interventional tools to target early involvement risks. Ayahuasca seems to be a promising therapeutic tool since evidence suggests it presents potential for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, among other disorders. This study aimed to analyze subjective reports of university students with harmful alcohol use participating in a single-blind study evaluating the effects of one ayahuasca dose (1 mL/kg). Twenty-one days after ayahuasca administration, semi-structured interviews were conducted (n = 6) to identify peer psychological elements linked to its therapeutic potential. Subsequently, content analysis methodology was employed to define the main categories: Self-perception of experience, Positive Impacts (PI), Substances Use Pattern (SUP), Insights (I), Visual Effects, Transient Derealization, and Sleep Pattern. Among these, the most pertinent categories for this study were PI, SUP, and I, as, together, they suggest a potential link between insights and/or positive emotions and reduced alcohol consumption due to their internal transformation potential, which could be linked to a decrease in consumption.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2018 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 29 |
| Human Pharmacology of Ayahuasca: Subjective and Cardiovascular Effects, Monoamine Metabolite Excretion, and Pharmacokinetics Volunteers with prior experience in the use of psychedelics | 2003 | Double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial | n = 18 |
| Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers Healthy male volunteers with prior experience using ayahuasca | 2001 | Single-blind crossover placebo-controlled clinical trial | n = 6 |
| Increased frontal and paralimbic activation following ayahuasca, the pan-amazonian inebriant Male volunteers with prior experience in the use of psychedelics | 2006 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Human brain effects of DMT assessed via EEG-fMRI. Healthy volunteers | 2023 | Within-subjects, placebo-controlled design | n = 20 |