Abstract
The field of psychiatry is facing unprecedented challenges. Despite recent important innovations, several mental disorders continue to lack effective treatment. After briefly exploring some of the current challenges, we suggest that the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in psychotherapeutic settings represents a promising and integrative treatment with enduring effects for mental health patients. We then propose that psychedelic psychotherapy could be an important innovation in the field, providing a treatment that combines complex pharmacological action with enhanced psychotherapeutic interventions.
Highlights
Mental disorders, which remain among the most challenging health conditions in terms of treatment and recovery, are a major source of disability
A recent study estimated that the global burden of mental disorders accounts for 32.4% of Years Lived with Disability (YLD) and 13% of Disability-Adjusted Life-Years (DALYs) [1]
T he publication of DSM-III was a major achievement in the history of psychiatry, since it marked the first time that mental disorders were classified in discrete categories constructed from observable symptoms that were consensus-based
Summary
Mental disorders, which remain among the most challenging health conditions in terms of treatment and recovery, are a major source of disability. T his idea eventually materialized in the process that has been referred to as the “psychopharmacology revolution” [2], where the discovery of certain compounds (lithium, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and phenothiazines) allowed for the symptoms of psychiatric disorders to be effectively reduced [3]. In this manner, the field of psychiatry developed new patterns of assistance, reducing the number of patients admitted to institutions, and improving their quality of life. Considering that knowledge, we suggest how the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs may improve the current scenario significantly
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