Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
Research on ayahuasca for anxiety is small but shows some promising signs. A few clinical studies — including one trial that tested ayahuasca — reported lower anxiety after treatment, and many reviews say psychedelic treatments can help anxiety in some people. However, most studies are small, vary a lot in how they are done, and often include mostly White participants, so we cannot be sure the findings apply to everyone (15068, 15082, 15085, 15095). Scientists have ideas about how ayahuasca might work. Its active chemical, DMT, acts on serotonin-linked brain systems and lab and animal studies show it can change brain connections. But human brain markers are harder to measure, and one big review found no clear change in a common blood marker (BDNF) after psychedelic drugs, so the exact brain changes in people are still uncertain (15082, 15050, 15091, 15129). Overall, more large, careful trials and better safety data are needed before strong conclusions can be made (15068, 15085).
Researchers followed 62 older adults (age 60 and up) and 62 younger adults who planned to take part in guided psychedelic group sessions. People in both age groups reported better well-being in the weeks after the sessions, but older adults experienced weaker immediate drug effects during the sessions. For older…
