title: Ayahuasca in adolescence: a preliminary psychiatric assessment.
abstract: Ayahuasca is believed to be harmless for those (including adolescents) drinking it within a religious setting. Nevertheless controlled studies on the mental/ psychiatric status of ritual hallucinogenic ayahuasca concoction consumers are still lacking. In this study, 40 adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect were compared with 40 controls matched on sex, age, and educational background for psychiatric symptomatology. Screening scales for depression, anxiety, alcohol consumption patterns (abuse), attentional problems, and body dysmorphic disorders were used. It was found that, compared to controls, considerable lower frequencies of positive scoring for anxiety, body dismorphism, and attentional problems were detected among ayahuasca-using adolescents despite overall similar psychopathological profiles displayed by both study groups. Low frequencies of psychiatric symptoms detected among adolescents consuming ayahuasca within a religious context may reflect a protective effect due to their religious affiliation. However further studies on the possible interference of other variables in the outcome are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil. dartiu@psiquiatria.epm.br
authors.forename: Dartiu Xavier
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Da Silveira
authors.forename: Charles S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Grob
authors.forename: Marlene Dobkin
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: de Rios
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Luisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tacla
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doering-Silveira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D031581:Banisteriopsis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs