Conceptions and practices of an integrative treatment for substance use disorders involving Amazonian medicine: traditional healers’ perspectives

Abstract

Objective: The harmful use of psychoactive substances represents one of today's largest public health problems. Yet, in spite of its global relevance, current treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) is still not entirely successful. The purpose of this study was to investigate alternative treatments and conceptions from traditional Amazonian medicine adapted to SUDs. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 practicing experts at a well-established addiction treatment center in the Peruvian Amazon and performed qualitative content analysis on the collected data. Main categories were deductively defined and corresponding subcategories inductively developed. Results: Our findings revealed characteristic features and consequences, causes and antecedents, and treatment methods of SUDs as the main categories. Overall, concepts of disease etiology bore resemblance with contemporary biopsychosocial models of SUDs. The Amazonian therapeutic means however differed markedly from current Western ones. The main methods involved dietary retreats, healing ceremonies, and purging rituals. The integral application of Amazonian methods, as well as their traditional implementation according to prescribed ritual protocols, were emphasized by the experts as crucial for efficacy and safety of treatment delivery. Conclusion: We suggest further scientific attention to these therapies, including clinical studies, for which our results provide conceptual underpinnings. Findings from this research expand the crosscultural understanding of SUDs and, in the long run, may enhance its treatment options.

Factors Associated with Substance Use Disorder among Adolescents Age Group: An Integrative Review

“…A qualitative study was conducted by Berlowitz et al [1] to investigate alternative treatments and conceptions from traditional Amazonian medicine adapted to SUD. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 practicing experts.…”

“…Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is one of the difficult problems and considered a global health problem that increases the burden on families and governments, more than 600 billion dollars dispensed on substance use yearly in USA [1] [2].…”

“…There are a lot of therapeutic programs for rehabilitation only, but the relapse rate is still high [1]. Substance use disorder was generally defined as a misuse of illicit drugs or psychoactive substances like marijuana, hashish, and amphetamines which have a negative impact on individuals and those individuals have exacerbated desire to repeat take these substances [4] [5].…”

“…The socio-cultural factors such as; lack of monitoring by parents, lack of social support, sexual abuse, lack of bonding, and victimization by family increase the risk for adolescents to have SUD[17] [18]. The biological factors such as; personal tendencies (curiosity and experimentation) among adolescent increased the risk to have SUD[1]. The environmental factors such as; lack of knowledge, peer pressure, imitating family members, family with uneducated mother, low academic achievement and absenteeism increase the risk to have adolescents with SUD.…”

“…Therefore, the adolescents with previous stressful life events, painful trauma, painful memories of self-blame and depression at high risk to have SUD[1] [14].The adolescents with mental illness like psychopath and personality disorder are at high risk to consume illicit substances and have SUD[14] [23]. The adolescents who experienced different types of abuse during childhood are at high risk to have SUD…”