Psychedelics therapeutics: What we know, what we think, and what we need to research.

Psychedelic therapy represents a promising new direction in psychiatry, offering effective treatment where conventional methods have failed and challenging the current diagnosis-specific model by showing transdiagnostic benefits. This has spurred significant investment and the creation of many new pharmaceutical companies researching known psychedelics and developing novel molecules. However, the authors caution that this enthusiasm must be grounded in established facts and current knowledge. They outline a knowledge framework that all innovative researchers in this field should consider to ensure rigorous and responsible scientific progress.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Psychedelic therapy is perhaps the most exciting new development in psychiatry. Not only does it offer a radical new approach to treatment where mainstream approaches have proven ineffective, but the growing evidence for transdiagnostic efficacy is eliciting a re-think of current diagnostic and symptom-specific approaches to psychiatry. This excitement has led to a massive investment in this field with many tens of new pharmaceutical companies being set up to research the effects of known psychedelics and develop new patentable molecules. Whilst this enthusiasm is to be welcomed, it is important that new research is properly grounded in established facts and reflects current knowledge. In this commentary we lay out the knowledge framework that should be taken into account by all innovative researchers in this field.