Ayahuasca-assisted psychotherapy for the prevention of Prolonged Grief Disorder

Abstract

Over the past decades, psychotherapy for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD)—a condition marked by intense and persistent grief following the death of a loved one—has garnered increasing attention. Despite this, evidence-based approaches to prevent or alleviate PGD remain scarce and are not always effective (Hedges' g: 0.41-0.45).

In this talk, I will present outcomes from a three-arm, non-randomized clinical study comparing a constructivist psychotherapeutic protocol assisted with ayahuasca to the same protocol without ayahuasca and to a no-treatment control group (n = 84). Our primary outcome is grief severity, measured by the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG) at baseline, post-treatment, and a 3-month follow-up. Additionally, we will present results on PGD symptoms, quality of life, post-traumatic growth, psychological flexibility, meaning-making, and self-belief consistency.

We anticipate that this trial will make a significant contribution to bereavement care, potentially reducing the time needed for grieving individuals to receive evidence-based support. Beyond the context of bereavement, this study may enhance our understanding of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as a transdiagnostic intervention, thereby helping to reduce the global mental health burden.

Biography

Débora Gonzalez, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Isabel I University (Spain) and a researcher at the Fundación Sant Joan de Deu. She has co-authored several scientific papers and book chapters on ayahuasca, 2C-B, Salvia divinorum, and research chemicals. Her primary research interest lies in the potential of psychedelics to transform the conception of death in Western society. She is currently conducting a clinical study to assess the potential of ayahuasca-assisted psychotherapy in preventing prolonged grief disorder.