Speaker Bio
Kim van Oorsouw, researcher and teacher at Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University investigates the effects of ayahuasca on mental health and well-being in collaboration with her colleagues of the department of Psychopharmacology of Maastricht University. Studies are conducted mainly in naturalistic settings with healthy and depressed volunteer visitors of psychedelic ceremonies in the Netherlands. Her current focus lies on investigating the role of integration on mental health and wellbeing by assessing different types of integration activities, and the needs and knows about psychedelic integration in the field. In the Netherlands she shares her scientific findings through lectures, interviews and (news) articles to educate lay persons, policy makers and health care professionals about the potential benefits and risks of psychedelics like ayahuasca. With her work she aims to extend the knowledge base on the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
The role of integration of psychedelic experiences on long term mental health improvements
In the Netherlands, thousands of people attend psychedelic sessions each month. Integration of the psychedelic experience is suggested to affect long-term beneficial outcomes, but but has been under-investigated.
We hypothesized that ayahuasca induced altered states of consciousness (ASC), predict changes in mental health one month post-ceremony as compared to baseline (H1), and that integration moderates the relationship between the intensity of the experience and changes in mental health (H2).
In an observational naturalistic study design, participants were asked to complete several mental health, ASC, and well-being questionnaires before and after an ayahuasca session. After one month, they were also asked about the time they spent on integrating activities in the previous month, using the psychedelic integration scales (Frymann et al., 2022).
Results replicate the previously reported reduction in depression, anxiety and stress, and improvements in well-being and connectedness one month post-ceremony as compared to baseline. Confirming H1, mental health improvements correlated with self-reported ASC as measured with the Mystical Experiences Scale (MEQ) and Ego Dissolution Inventory (EDI). Regression analyses demonstrated that, in addition to alterations in consciousness, integration appeared to be a significant predictor for mental health and well-being outcomes one month post-ceremony for all mental health and well-being measures, but was not moderated by the intensity of the psychedelic experience.
Both alterations in consciousness and integration seem to predict mental health improvements and increases in well-being and connectedness. Findings will be discussed in the light of future studies and participant needs.