Psychosis Following Ayahuasca and DMT Administration (1 CE)

This course is for:  Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and Nurses 

Course By: Tim Grigsby, PhD 

Content By: Dos Santos, R. G., Bouso, J. C., & Hallak, J. E. (2017). Ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, and psychosis: A systematic review of human studies. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 7(4), 141-157. 

Course Description: The ritualistic use of ayahuasca in South America produced suppositional tales of its therapeutic use for various mental health problems. The mechanism of action is similar to other hallucinogenic drugs, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) which is currently being investigated as a psychotherapeutic agent with promising effects. The researchers review the state of the evidence on the self- and controlled administration of ayahuasca and DMT in relation to subsequent psychotic episodes. Several reports suggest that contextual factors, such as family history and use of other drugs, might be responsible for cases in which psychosis followed ingestion of ayahuasca or DMT. Until future clinical trial research can validate these preliminary findings it is recommended that individuals with a history of any psychotic illness should avoid ayahuasca or DMT intake. 

Learning Objectives:  

1. Describe the cognitive risks and benefits of consuming ayahuasca and N,N- dimethyltryptamine (DMT) 
2. Identify the neurobiological areas affected by ayahuasca and DMT consumption 
3. Discuss the opportunities and obstacles to adapting ayahuasca and DMT as therapeutic agents 

Course Outline:  

• Read and understand Ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, and psychosis: A systematic review of human studies 
• Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives 
• Reflect on the therapeutic benefits of ayahuasca and DMT for psychosis and correlates of observed psychosis following ingestion of these substances  
• Work through the post-test questions; keep in mind that answer selections should be derived from the respective article 

• Return to the referenced article for any missed questions and/or to better understand the opportunities and obstacles of administering ayahuasca and DMT in controlled settings 

Required BRN Content 

Implicit biases incorporate an association that occurs outside of conscious awareness that may resultantly lead to a negative patient evaluation derived from irrelevant characteristics; i.e. gender and/or race. A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Thirty-five studies identified the existence of implicit bias in healthcare professionals; all correlational studies evidenced a significant positive relationship between implicit bias levels and lower quality of care (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). Continued research in health care settings, combined with greater method homogeneity, should be employed to examine the occurrence and prevalence of implicit biases in healthcare settings as a strategic approach for mitigating related disparities (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). 

Reference 

FitzGerald, C., Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: A systematic review. BMC Med Ethics 18, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8 

Approvals: