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