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.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Former chronic methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) users report mild depressive symptoms Former chronic ecstasy users | 2001 | Observational cohort | n = 29 |
| Rates and correlates of cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms in over 230,000 people who use cannabis International sample of people who use cannabis (PWUC) | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 233,475 |
| 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 |
| Naturalistic use of psychedelics is associated with longitudinal improvements in anxiety and depression during global crisis times. Citizen science cohort recruited agnostically to an interest in drug use | 2025 | Observational cohort | n = 242,260 |
| Past-Year Psilocybin and Alcohol Co-Use: Associations With Mental Health Symptoms U.S. adults from the 2024 National Survey Investigating Hallucinogenic Trends | 2026 | Observational study | n = 2,841 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- The Use of Classic Hallucinogens/Psychedelics in a Therapeutic Context: Healthcare Policy Opportunities and Challenges Risk Management and Healthcare Policy March 1, 2021
- Communalistic use of psychoactive plants as a bridge between traditional healing practices and Western medicine: A new path for the Global Mental Health movement. Transcultural Psychiatry October 1, 2022
- Quality of reporting on psychological interventions in psychedelic treatments: a systematic review. The Lancet Psychiatry 2025
- Protocol for Outcome Evaluation of Ayahuasca-Assisted Addiction Treatment: The Case of Takiwasi Center Frontiers in Pharmacology May 19, 2021
- Indigenous-Amazonian Traditional Medicine’s Usage of the Tobacco Plant: A Transdisciplinary Ethnopsychological Mixed-Methods Case Study Plants January 11, 2023
and 7 more in the library