Revolutionizing Psychiatry Tech: Progressing Psychedelic Therapy and Medicines in EU Mental Health Care
Under the pressure of the mental illness crisis, advancing psychedelic therapy is being pursued to prime European Union (EU) mental health care. Today, our mental health care positions the third highest disease burden and the rates of mental health disorders are predicted to skyrocket due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite increased awareness and acceptance of mental health issues, psychiatry technology has yet to achieve major therapeutic breakthroughs. This gap between intricacy of mental health disorders and the available treatment options is distressing. The last meaningful innovation in psychiatry was back in the ’70s and ’80s, a staggering fifty years ago.
The Flicker of Hope: Psychedelic Therapy
Hope seems to surface as psychedelic-assisted treatments show promising results. With benefits such as higher efficacy, shorter treatment periods and longer-lasting effects, these are now perceived as revolutionizing advances in psychiatry tech.
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They usher in an unprecedented way to address mental health disorders, offering new catalysts in therapeutic processes. The treatments pivot on using managed doses of substances like psilocybin (magic mushrooms) or MDMA (ecstasy), in combination with therapy. Studies show that these are more effective in treating mental health disorders than standard psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.
Psychedelic Psychiatry: A New Era for EU’s Mental Health Care
The breakthroughs are especially valuable for the EU mental health care landscape. With an insufficient number of mental health professionals, limited access to care, and the stigma around mental health, the EU is witnessing an escalating mental health crisis. Research institutes like Maastricht University are at the forefront of psychedelic research, committed to maximizing the potential benefits of these novel treatments.
Despite the advantages, there are hurdles to overcome. For one, these substances are classified as illegal drugs in many EU states, despite potential medicinal benefits leading to hesistation among the professional community about using these substances in patient treatment.
The issue of patents over naturally occurring substances like psilocybin also arises as a challenge, leading to discrepancies in accessibility and thus hampering patient treatment.
A Call to Action: Propelling Psychedelic Psychiatry
Where do we go from here? The propagation of psychedelic psychiatry in EU’s mental health care requires collective action from diverse entities. Policy makers, regulators, psychiatrists, therapists, patient organizations, finance and industry professionals will need to converge and collaborate.
We should see this as an opportunity to bring a truly transformational shift in mental health care innovation. Together, we can act catalytically in the field of psychiatry tech, providing both new treatments and hope for individuals who, for far too long, have not had the help they desperately need.
We are on the cusp of a new era in Psychiatry tech. Change is not only coming, it’s here now. So, question is ‘Are you ready to embrace this change and make a difference in the field of psychiatry tech?’ Share your thoughts and spread awareness about Mental Health on your favorite social media platform.