The Potential Role of Psychedelic Drugs in Mental Health Care of the Future

Serotonergic psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT, along with MDMA and ketamine, are among the most promising new treatments in psychiatry. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy requires redefining psychotherapeutic processes and embedding drug interventions in a new treatment infrastructure. Key challenges for practice and research include informed patient referral, screening, dosing preparation, assisted dosing sessions, psychological integration, and supporting patient communities. Defining treatment delivery infrastructures and therapist training requirements are further challenges. Implementation in routine mental health care must include public communication about the potential and risks. This paper provides a synopsis of challenges for practitioners, researchers, and regulators in the approval processes.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or dimethyltryptamine (DMT), as well as psychoactive drugs that trigger phenomenologically- related experiences like 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and ketamine, belong to the most promising treatment approaches in contemporary psychiatry. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is not only a new treatment paradigm in psychopharmacology, but it also requires a redefinition of psychotherapeutic processes and the contextualization of psychopharmacological interventions within a new treatment infrastructure. Crucial for future practice and research in the field are (1) informed patient referral and co-treatment practices, (2) screening (e. g., choosing the right patients for these therapies), (3) the dosing preparation sessions, (4) the assisted dosing sessions as well as after-care procedures such as (5) psychological integration and (6) supporting the development of structured patient communities. Definition of future treatment delivery infrastructures and requirements for therapist training are further challenges for research and practice. Finally, the implementation of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in routine mental health care must be embedded into public communication about the potential and risks of these innovative therapeutic approaches. This paper provides a synopsis of challenges for practitioners, researchers, and regulators to be addressed in the approval processes of psychedelics.