Rapid and sustained decreases in suicidality following a single dose of ayahuasca among individuals with recurrent major depressive disorder: results from an open-label trial.
Psychopharmacology February 1, 2021 Richard J Zeifman, Nikhita Singhal, Rafael G Dos Santos et al. 79 citations
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.