The frontiers of new psychedelic therapies: A survey of sociological themes and issues

Psychedelic compounds are on the cusp of being approved by medical regulators for treatment-resistant mental health disorders. Following promising clinical trials, and as rates ill rise globally, psychedelic medicine presents a new paradigm treating depression, anxiety, addiction post-traumatic stress disorder. The novelty therapies, cultural stigma they elicit, challenges regulation implementation urgently call sociological lens onto this emerging field psychiatry. This article identifies key issues related to medicalisation psychedelic-assisted therapies. It begins with brief overview field's history current treatment approaches. We then identify critically examine three areas interest: role advocacy in advancement scientific research destigmatisation psychedelics; pharmaceuticalisation; integration into healthcare systems. affordances psychedelics existing therapeutic models, monetisation highlighted, socio-political context pharmaceutical industry, research, investment is examined. Drawing science literature field, offers an potentially shifting psychiatry psychotherapy.