Ayahuasca enhances mindfulness and alters cognitive flexibility during the 'afterglow' period, suggesting these changes may be psychological mechanisms behind its psychotherapeutic effects. These psychological gains occurred regardless of whether participants had prior ayahuasca experience, indicating potential therapeutic benefits for both naïve and experienced drinkers.
A review of psychiatric case studies from the last 10 years finds that MDMA (Ecstasy) is strongly linked to the onset of psychological disorders and persistent psychiatric symptoms. Only 24% of patients had a previous psychiatric history, and 34% had a psychiatric illness among first-degree relatives. The substantial proportion of patients without such history, along with the temporal relationship between MDMA use and recurring symptoms, suggests a causal role of the drug. Supporting evidence from non-clinical samples shows that Ecstasy users have higher scores on SCL-90 subscales compared to non-users, with heavier users showing more pathology.
People who report problems from their ecstasy use show higher levels of psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and somatization compared to those who use ecstasy without problems, polydrug users, and people who have never used illegal drugs. In contrast, non-problematic ecstasy users do not differ from controls on these measures. Problematic users also report greater lifetime consumption, average dosage, and binge use, and are more likely to have personal and family psychiatric histories. The findings suggest that ecstasy-related psychological problems are linked to dosage and pre-existing mental health vulnerabilities, not ecstasy use alone.