Psychedelics and Schizophrenia: Rethinking Care for Negative and Depressive symptoms

Abstract

Recent interest in psychedelics has renewed hope for novel treatments in psychiatry, particularly for depression. Preliminary clinical data suggest that, when administered in controlled medical settings, psychedelics do not increase the risk of exacerbating positive symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Moreover, early findings indicate a promising reduction in both negative and depressive symptoms among individuals with SSD. These results highlight a critical therapeutic opportunity: a carefully selected subgroup of patients with SSD may benefit substantially from psychedelic-assisted interventions. Given the limited efficacy of current treatments for negative and depressive symptoms in this population, advancing rigorous clinical research is urgently needed.

Biography

Dr. Sabé Michel is a psychiatrist at the University Hospitals of Geneva. His clinical research has for several years focused on improving evidence-based medicine for the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia, on the transition to psychotic states, and on the consequences and mechanisms of addictions. He is also interested in innovative therapeutic options, such as the use of psychedelics to address negative and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia.