Psychedelic psychiatry and the C-L psychiatrist: A primer

The abstract of this consultation-liaison psychiatry article reads: "Background Psychedelic compounds such as LSD, psilocybin and MDMA share a long and complex history with psychiatry. A half century ago psychedelics were widely employed by psychiatrists in investigational and clinical settings, with studies demonstrating promising findings for their use in the treatment of mental illness and substance use disorders. However, concerns were also raised about their abuse potential, as well as other adverse effects. Due to these worries and psychedelics’ association with the counterculture movement, psychedelics were largely outlawed in the United States in 1970, bringing research on their therapeutic potential to a halt. However, in recent years a resurgence of psychedelic research has revealed compelling, though early, evidence for the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy in treating alcohol use disorder, nicotine use disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. Objective Here we provide an overview of psychiatry’s complicated relationship with psychedelics, while reviewing contemporary findings on psychedelic-assisted therapy, safety of psychedelic-assisted therapy and risks of non-medical use. We also make the case that psychiatry should consider preparing now for the possibility of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of psychedelic-assisted therapies in the near future. We conclude by discussing how growing societal interest in psychedelics could impact the work of C-L psychiatrists, while also exploring how C-L psychiatrists might contribute to future delivery of psychedelic treatments. Conclusions Despite past concerns about psychedelics, current data indicate psychedelic-assisted therapy may potentially reduce suffering due to mental illness and addiction if administered thoughtfully and cautiously by trained professionals in medical settings."