The Shipibo Ceremonial Use of Ayahuasca to Promote Well-Being : An Observational Study
González, Débora (Fundación BeckleyMed)
Cantillo, Jordi (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Services (ICEERS))
Pérez, Irene (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Services (ICEERS))
Carvalho, Maria (Catholic University of Portugal)
Aronovich, Adam (Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Departament d'Antropologia, Filosofia i Treball Social)
Farre, Magi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Feilding, Amanda (The Beckley Foundation)
Obiols Llandrich, Jordi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut)
Bouso, José Carlos (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Services (ICEERS))

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Promoting well-being is one of the main goals to improve health in the world. We examined the well-being and quality of life over the course of one year in a sample that participated in an Indigenous Shipibo healing program where traditional healers work in a series of ayahuasca ceremonies. We also explored the role of decentering as a mediator of psychological well-being. Participants who attended the program responded to an online survey that included a Psychological Well-Being Scale; Oxford Happiness Questionnaire; The World Health Organization Quality of Life Spirituality, Religiousness, and Personal Beliefs scale; the WHO Quality of Life-BREF scale; and Decentering scale. Baseline (T0) and postassessment (T1) were completed by 200 individuals. Of these, 101 completed the follow-up assessment at three months (T2), 91 at 6 months (T3), and 94 at 12 months follow-up (T4) after leaving the center. ANOVA test was performed in a representative subsample to control the passing of time two months before attending the program (T-1). Pearson's test was performed to examine the relationship between psychological well-being and decentering during the period of T0 and T1. A significant increase was observed in all the scales at all time points (p ≤ 0. 01). The subgroup analysis performed in a representative subsample allowed us to infer that the significant differences in outcomes are due to the effect of their stay at the center and not the passing of time. We found a relationship between decentering and the improvement of psychological well-being (r = 0. 57; p < 0. 01). Our results suggest that the Indigenous Shipibo healing work with ayahuasca has value to improve long-term well-being and quality of life for Westerners.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Well-being ; Quality of life ; Herbal medicine ; Shipibo ; Ayahuasca ; Traditional medicine
Published in:	Frontiers in Pharmacology, Vol. 12 (may 2021) , ISSN 1663-9812

DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.623923
PMID: 34025402

12 p, 992.4 KB

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