title: Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca.
abstract: Ayahuasca is a psychoactive beverage used for magico-religious purposes in the Amazon. Recently, Brazilian syncretic churches have helped spread the ritual use of ayahuasca abroad. This trend has raised concerns that regular use of this N,N-dimethyltryptamine-containing tea may lead to the medical and psychosocial problems typically associated with drugs of abuse. Here we assess potential drug abuse-related problems in regular ayahuasca users. Addiction severity was assessed using the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), and history of alcohol and illicit drug use was recorded. In Study 1, jungle-based ayahuasca users (n=56) were compared vs. rural controls (n=56). In Study 2, urban-based ayahuasca users (n=71) were compared vs. urban controls (n=59). Follow-up studies were conducted 1 year later. In both studies, ayahuasca users showed significantly lower scores than controls on the ASI Alcohol Use, and Psychiatric Status subscales. The jungle-based ayahuasca users showed a significantly higher frequency of previous illicit drug use but this had ceased at the time of examination, except for cannabis. At follow-up, abstinence from illicit drug use was maintained in both groups except for cannabis in Study 1. However, differences on ASI scores were still significant in the jungle-based group but not in the urban group. Despite continuing ayahuasca use, a time-dependent worsening was only observed in one subscale (Family/Social relationships) in Study 2. Overall, the ritual use of ayahuasca, as assessed with the ASI in currently active users, does not appear to be associated with the deleterious psychosocial effects typically caused by other drugs of abuse.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Etnopsicología Amazónica Aplicada (IDEAA), 08037 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fábregas
authors.forename: Débora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Sabela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fondevila
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cutchet
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Paulo César Ribeiro
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Alcázar-Córcoles
authors.forename: Manel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Barbanoj
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riba
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bouso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D031581:Banisteriopsis / Q000506:poisoning*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs