Skip to content

Psilocybin as a disease-modifying drug—a salutogenic approach in psychiatry

Moritz Spangemacher, Andrea Jungaberle, Henrik Jungaberle, Gerhard Gründer, Lea J. Mertens, Luca V. Färber

Deutsches Ärzteblatt international December 16, 2024 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0224 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Intervention Psilocybin
Topics LSD Psilocybin
Keywords Hallucinogen Drug Psychoactive substance Pharmacology Psychotherapist
Citations 3
Key findings Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may be the first disease-modifying treatment in psychiatry.

Abstract

Treatment with psilocybin differs fundamentally from classic psychopharmacotherapy. Its potentially transdiagnostic, rapid, and sustainable efficacy and its positive effect on further dimensions of mental health beyond the patient's symptoms and psychopathology imply that it may have diseasemodifying and salutogenic mechanisms of action. Psychotherapy accompanied by the administration of psychedelic drugs may turn out to be the first disease-modifying treatment in the history of psychiatry.

Explore topics