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Psychedelic Therapy: A Primer for Primary Care Clinicians-The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of Psychedelic Therapeutics.

Owen S. Muir, Kenneth Shinozuka, Bryce D. Beutler, Alejandro Arenas, Kirsten Cherian, Viviana D. Evans, Chelsey Fasano, Burton J. Tabaac

American Journal of Therapeutics DOI: 10.1097/MJT.0000000000001720 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Topics Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Keywords Psychedelics Mental health treatment Psychiatric medicine Drug research Therapeutic compounds
Citations 5
Key findings Psychedelic compounds may offer more potent and rapidly acting treatments for psychiatric conditions compared to traditional small-molecule drugs, but only esketamine is currently FDA-approved for depression.

Abstract

The reviews in this special edition have presented a primer on the state of the literature for 7 different psychedelic compounds and their plausible roles in medicine. In a common format underscoring strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), this article addresses how psychedelic compounds fit into the broader health care landscape for indicated conditions. Historically, psychiatric pathologies have been treated with small-molecule compounds that have limited effect sizes and carry a variety of adverse effect profiles. Psychedelic medicines offer the opportunity to provide more potent and rapidly acting treatments. It is crucial to note that this is an emerging field of medicine, and only one of these compounds (esketamine) is currently Food and Drug Administration-approved for depression. The other compounds discussed are investigational, and this discussion is both imaginative and prospective in nature.