Psychedelics: Where we are now, why we got here, what we must do
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Commentary and narrative overview introducing a special issue without original human data or systematic review methodology.
OpenAlex W2793644042 · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.02.018
What was done
The authors authored an introductory commentary for a special issue of Neuropharmacology reviewing the history of psychedelic drug research from the 1940s discovery of LSD through 1970s regulatory restrictions under Schedule I, followed by the resurgence of mechanistic and clinical research from the 1990s onward.
What was found
The abstract provides no quantitative data or specific numerical endpoints. The commentary summarizes accumulated research indicating that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may offer potential therapeutic benefit for treatment-refractory psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction.
Why it matters
It outlines the regulatory and historical context that restricted psychedelic research and argues for accelerated clinical investigations to address treatment-resistant mental illness.
Limits
This is a narrative commentary without original clinical trials, meta-analytic methods, or quantitative data. Specific sample sizes, effect magnitudes, and adverse event profiles are not detailed in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports In the mid-20th century, psychedelics were used as psychotherapeutic adjuncts by public figures such as Ethel Kennedy and Cary Grant.