Therapeutic effect of an ayahuasca analogue in clinically depressed patients: a longitudinal observational study.
Kim van Oorsouw, S. W. Toennes, J. G. Ramaekers
Psychopharmacology January 24, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-06046-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Clinically depressed patients with Beck's Depression Inventory scores above 13 |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Duration | Single ceremony, with follow-ups at 1 day, 1 month, and 1 year |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Depression treatment Antidepressant Mood disorder therapy Mental health treatment Depressive symptom relief Clinical depression remedy Entheogenic medicine Psychedelic medicine Hallucinogen therapy Novel compound treatment Psychiatric care Psychological well-being Brain health Neuropsychiatry Mental illness treatment Clinical research Medical study Drug development Therapeutic development Clinical trials |
| Citations | 71 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca was followed by sustained reductions in depressive symptoms and high remission rates up to one year after a single ceremony. |
Abstract
Rationale: Studies have suggested mental health improvements following the use of the psychotropic plant concoction ayahuasca in non-clinical and clinical samples.
Objectives: The present observational study assessed depressive symptomatology in 20 clinically depressed patients (symptom score > 13 on the Beck's Depression Inventory) before attendance of an ayahuasca ceremony and 1 month and 1 year after. Secondary measures included ratings of altered states of consciousness and ego dissolution during the ayahuasca ceremony as well as global measures of mindfulness, satisfaction with life, depression, anxiety, and stress.
Results: Twenty participants completed baseline and 1-day follow-up, 19 completed measures at 1-month follow-up, and 17 completed measures at 1-year follow-up. BDI scores reduced from baseline (M = 22.7) to all post-ceremony measures (Ms 11.45, 12.89, and 8.88, for 1-day, 1-month, and 1-year follow-up, respectively). After 1 day, 12/20 participants were in remission (BDI < 13). Remission rates after 1 month and 1 year were 13/19 and 12/17, respectively. Three participants remained mildly depressed (BDI 14-19) at the 1-month and 1-year follow-up. Two participants did not respond and remained at a moderate/severe level of depression at 1-year follow-up. Reductions on the secondary mental health measures and increases in mindfulness and satisfaction with life were found up to 1 year post-ceremony. Improvements in clinical depression and mental health correlated with levels of experienced ego dissolution and oceanic boundlessness during the ceremony up to 1 month after the ceremony. Engagement in additional mental health treatments or use of another psychedelic during study participation may have contributed to improved mental health ratings at 1-year follow-up.
Conclusion: Ayahuasca produces long-term mental health improvements in clinically depressed patients, which highlights its therapeutic potential.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network Experienced subjects | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 10 |
| Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil Long-term members of a syncretic church that uses hoasca as a psychoactive sacrament... | 1996 | Observational cohort with matched controls | n = 30 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study Regular ayahuasca users and active controls in non-ayahuasca religions | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 242 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 64
- Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023
- History repeating: guidelines to address common problems in psychedelic science Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 2023
- Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey. PLOS global public health 2022
- A unified model of ketamine's dissociative and psychedelic properties. Journal of Psychopharmacology December 17, 2022
- Sustained effects of single doses of classical psychedelics in humans. Neuropsychopharmacology June 21, 2022
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- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
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