Protocol for Outcome Evaluation of Ayahuasca-Assisted Addiction Treatment: The Case of Takiwasi Center
Frontiers in Pharmacology May 19, 2021 Brian Rush, Olivia Marcus, Sara Mallén García et al. 26 citations
This paper describes the protocol for the Ayahuasca Treatment Outcome Project (ATOP), which evaluates addiction treatment services at the Takiwasi Center in the Peruvian Amazon. The project aims to assess outcomes and understand therapeutic mechanisms of an ayahuasca-assisted, integrative treatment model for addiction rehabilitation. The protocol emphasizes the importance of treatment setting in designing and delivering a program involving the psychedelic tea ayahuasca. A mixed-methods approach to data collection and analysis is used to understand why, how, and for whom the treatment is effective across various outcomes.