Suicidality is a major public health problem with few treatment options. In an open-label trial, 17 adults with recurrent major depressive disorder received a single dose of ayahuasca. Among the 15 who had suicidality at baseline, suicidality decreased acutely (within 40 to 180 minutes after administration) and remained lower at 1, 7, 14, and 21 days afterward. Post-acute effect sizes were large (Hedges' g = 1.31–1.75), with the largest effect at 21 days (g = 1.75). When administered in an appropriate context, ayahuasca may produce rapid and sustained reductions in suicidality. The authors call for randomized, double-blind studies with larger samples to confirm these early findings.
A single dose of ayahuasca, a plant hallucinogen containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmine, was given with psychological support to 11 college students who drank alcohol harmfully. The treatment was well tolerated and produced strong psychoactive effects. Days of alcohol consumption per week dropped from about 2.9 to 2.1 between weeks 2 and 3, but this reduction was not statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. No other measures—craving, anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, or social cognition—showed significant changes, except faster reaction time on an empathy task. The small sample and mild baseline drinking likely limited the findings. The study demonstrates the protocol is feasible for future larger trials.