PLOS Global Public Health

Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey

A global survey of 10,836 ayahuasca users reported high rates of acute physical effects (69.9%, chiefly vomiting) and medium-term psychological effects (55.9%), though most users framed psychological effects as part of a positive integration process and only small proportions required medical (2.3%) or professional (≈12%) help. Risk factors for physical adverse effects included older age at first use, physical health conditions, greater use, prior substance use disorder and unsupervised settings, while mental health effects were linked to anxiety disorders, physical conditions and stronger spiritual experiences but were less common in religious contexts, suggesting targets for screening, support and policy.

Published

November 16, 2022

Journal

PLOS Global Public Health

Authors

Bouso, J. C., Andión, O., Sarris, J., Scheidegger, M., Tófoli, L.F., Opaleye, E. S., Schubert, V., Perkins, D.