Kohek Maja, Ona Genís, van Elk Michiel, Dos Santos Rafael Guimarães, Hallak Jaime E C, Alcázar-Córcoles Miguel Ángel, Bouso José Carlos
International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain.
Department of Anthropology, Philosophy and Social Work, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Medical Anthropology Research Center (MARC), Tarragona, Spain.
J Psychoactive Drugs. 2023 Jul-Aug;55(3):247-258. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2022.2077155. Epub 2022 May 28.
Ayahuasca is a plant decoction in traditional Amazonian medicine. Its ritual use has been internationalized, leading to policy challenges that countries should address. This study evaluates the impact of regular ayahuasca ceremony participation on health by assessing the health status of 377 participants in ayahuasca ceremonies in the Netherlands using validated health indicators. A questionnaire was developed and administered to study participants. The questionnaire included several health indicators with public health relevance (e.g., BMI, diet, physical activity) and psychometrically validated questionnaires (ELS and COPE-easy). The data retrieved through health indicators was compared to normative Dutch data. Participants (50.1% women) were mostly Dutch (84.6%) with a mean age of 48.8 years (SD = 11.6). Compared to normative Dutch data, regular participants in ayahuasca ceremonies showed better general well-being, fewer chronic or lifestyle-related diseases, more physical activity, and a more balanced diet. Participants also used less alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic, and although they used more illegal drugs than the general population, they did not report associated harms. Our findings suggest that regular participation in ayahuasca ceremonies is not linked to relevant health harms. This data could help drug policymakers to develop and implement evidence-based public policies.
阿亚瓦斯卡是传统亚马逊医学中的一种植物煎剂。其仪式性使用已国际化，引发了各国应应对的政策挑战。本研究通过使用经过验证的健康指标评估荷兰377名阿亚瓦斯卡仪式参与者的健康状况，来评估定期参加阿亚瓦斯卡仪式对健康的影响。开发了一份问卷并向研究参与者发放。问卷包括几个与公共卫生相关的健康指标（如体重指数、饮食、身体活动）以及经过心理测量验证的问卷（ELS和简易应对方式问卷）。通过健康指标获取的数据与荷兰的标准数据进行了比较。参与者中女性占50.1%，大多为荷兰人（84.6%），平均年龄为48.8岁（标准差=11.6）。与荷兰的标准数据相比，定期参加阿亚瓦斯卡仪式的参与者表现出更好的总体幸福感、更少的慢性或与生活方式相关的疾病、更多的身体活动以及更均衡的饮食。在新冠疫情期间，参与者饮酒也较少，尽管他们使用非法药物的情况比普通人群多，但他们并未报告相关危害。我们的研究结果表明，定期参加阿亚瓦斯卡仪式与相关健康危害无关。这些数据有助于药物政策制定者制定和实施基于证据的公共政策。
