Ayahuasca Assisted Psychotherapy for Grief

Launched by BECKLEY MED FOUNDATION · Nov 21, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Grief is a deep and intense sorrow caused by the loss of someone loved. Although every person could benefit from support, only a substantial minority of bereaved people experience severe, persistent and disabling grief (PCBD), requiring treatment one year after the death of a loved one. However, pharmacotherapy alone has not proven to be effective, and while psychological interventions for prolonged grief disorder may be efficacious, the clinical effectiveness is small (Hedges' g: 0.41-0.45). As far as we know, no bereavement prevention program has proven to be effective, and early interven...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Experienced the loss of a first- degree relative not more than 12 months prior to enrollment as indicated by self-report.
• • Scores up to 40 in the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
• • Hypertension (systolic blood pressure above 140 mm, diastolic above 90 mm and heart rate above 100 bpm).
• • History of psychotic disorder (Axis I-II of the DSM-V).
• • Substance use disorder (except nicotine).
• • Alcohol consumption greater than 40 g/day.
• • Receiving psychological or self-help therapy during the study on a regular basis.
• • Receiving regular pharmacological therapy for complicated grief during the study.
• • Regular intake of any type of medication in the month preceding the study.
• • Treatment with single doses of symptomatic medication during the study may be accepted (as long as it can be assumed that the ingested drug has been completely eliminated on the days of the ayahuasca administrations).