Preliminary results from a community-based ayahuasca-assisted mental health program among a Yaqui Indigenous population in Sonora, Mexico
Journal of Psychedelic Studies January 24, 2025 Cecile Giovannetti, Anja Loizaga-Velder, Ricardo Campoy Gomez et al. 5 citations
An outpatient clinic serving a Yaqui Indigenous community in Mexico integrated ayahuasca ceremonies with psychotherapeutic support to treat substance use and mental health disorders. In 37 patients with depression, anxiety, complicated grief, or substance use disorder, symptom scores dropped substantially after two ceremonies: depression scores fell from 15.7 to 5.1, anxiety from 16.6 to 6.3, and complicated grief from 39.6 to 10.7. Among eight patients with suicide risk, seven no longer showed risk after one ceremony. The ceremonies were well-tolerated. The findings suggest that culturally-attuned, community-based ayahuasca-assisted therapy may rapidly reduce mental health symptoms and warrants further study.