Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau Institut de Recerca, Barcelona, Spain.
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019 Feb;236(2):573-580. doi: 10.1007/s00213-018-5085-3. Epub 2018 Nov 7.
Research suggests that mindfulness-based interventions may improve mindfulness-related capacities (e.g., decentering, non-judging, and non-reacting) and emotion regulation. Previously, our group reported that ayahuasca could be a potential analogue of mindfulness practice. The main aim of the current study was to examine the effects of ayahuasca on emotional regulation and mindfulness-related capacities. Secondarily, we sought to explore the effects of ayahuasca on individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits.
This is an observational study of 45 volunteers who participated in an ayahuasca session. The volunteers completed various self-report instruments designed to measure emotional dysregulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)) and mindfulness traits (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)-Short Form and Experiences Questionnaire (EQ)) prior to and 24 h after the ayahuasca session. The volunteers were divided into two subgroups based on their score on the McLean Screening Instrument for BPD (MSI-BPD). Twelve participants were grouped into the BPD-like traits subgroup while the rest of them were included in the non-BPD-like subgroup. We performed within-subjects and between-group analyses.
Overall, the participants showed significant improvements on the FFMQ subscales observing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reacting and also significantly improved on decentering (EQ scale) and on the DERS subscales emotional non-acceptance, emotional interference, and lack of control. The BPD-like subgroup also showed significant improvements on the DERS subscales emotional interference and lack of control but not in mindfulness capacities.
These findings suggest a potential therapeutic effect for ayahuasca in emotion regulation and mindfulness capacities (including decentering, acceptance, awareness, and sensitivity to meditation practice). Based on these results, we believe that ayahuasca therapy could be of value in clinical populations, such as individuals with BPD, affected by emotion dysregulation.
研究表明，正念干预可能会提高与正念相关的能力（例如去中心化、不评判和不反应）和情绪调节。此前，我们的研究小组报告称，迷幻剂可能是正念练习的潜在类似物。本研究的主要目的是检验迷幻剂对情绪调节和与正念相关能力的影响。其次，我们试图探索迷幻剂对边缘型人格障碍（BPD）特征个体的影响。
这是一项观察性研究，共有 45 名志愿者参加了迷幻剂疗程。志愿者在迷幻剂疗程前后 24 小时内完成了各种旨在测量情绪失调（情绪调节困难量表（DERS））和正念特征（五因素正念量表（FFMQ）-短表和体验问卷（EQ））的自我报告工具。根据他们在 McLean 边缘筛查工具（MSI-BPD）上的得分，志愿者被分为两个亚组。12 名参与者被分为 BPD 样特质亚组，其余参与者被纳入非 BPD 样特质亚组。我们进行了组内和组间分析。
总体而言，参与者在 FFMQ 子量表观察、有意识地行动、不评判和不反应以及去中心化（EQ 量表）和 DERS 子量表情绪不接受、情绪干扰和缺乏控制方面均有显著改善。BPD 样特质亚组在 DERS 子量表情绪干扰和缺乏控制方面也有显著改善，但在正念能力方面没有改善。
这些发现表明，迷幻剂在情绪调节和正念能力（包括去中心化、接受、意识和对冥想实践的敏感性）方面可能具有潜在的治疗效果。基于这些结果，我们认为迷幻剂疗法在情绪失调的临床人群中可能具有价值，例如边缘型人格障碍患者。
