Bringing psychedelic treatments to patients: lessons learned and future perspectives

Abstract

Around 30% of patients with mental disorders do not respond to current treatments. Psychedelics show promise in alleviating some of this burden and represent a novel approach to severe psychopathologies. In this lecture I will describe what we have learned from clinical studies with ketamine and psilocybin for depression, and how this relates to the broader development of psychedelic treatments for mental disorders. This will include discussing major scientific unknowns, challenges in future clinical implementation and the influence of the popular image of psychedelics in society. To address these challenges and bring these treatments to patients in a safe and effective way, we need to collaborate in national and international networks, following a shared research agenda. 

Biography

Robert Schoevers is a psychiatrist and head of UMCG Psychiatry Department with broad clinical and research experience. Working with patients with severe, treatment resistant disorders he became interested in the potential of ketamine and classic psychedelics. He leads several larger trials including the EU Horizon PsyPal project. His research involves clinical, neurobiological and qualitative aspects and he is active in setting up broader networks for research and implementation to structure and accelerate the development of psychedelic treatments for patients.