Who Turns to Amazonian Medicine for Treatment of Substance Use Disorder? Patient Characteristics at the Takiwasi Addiction Treatment Center
Ilana Berlowitz, Heinrich Walt, Christian Ghasarian, David M. O’shaughnessy, Jacques Mabit, Brian Rush, Chantal Martin-Soelch
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs July 1, 2020 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2020.81.416 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with substance use disorders seeking treatment |
| Intervention | Amazonian medicine-based therapy |
| Topics | Addiction Anxiety Cannabis |
| Keywords | Addiction medicine Mental health Family medicine Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | The Amazonian medicine-based therapy attracts a diverse patient group, particularly those with more impaired SUD and a history of unsuccessful treatment. |
Abstract
Our results suggest that the Amazonian medicine-based therapy attracts a diverse patient group not limited to regional residents and may be particularly appealing to more impaired SUD patients with a history of unsuccessful treatment. The sample's cultural diversity suggests an existing interest in such therapies among international SUD treatment-seeking patients. These findings are relevant in light of the need for improved SUD therapies and contribute to the emergent research literature on ayahuasca-based treatments.