The Portuguese Psychological Association (OPP) has recently published the document "Psychedelics and Mental Health: Definitions, Evidence and Recommendations for Psychologists," which addresses the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances in treating various mental health conditions. M. Carmo Carvalho, a faculty member at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP), participated in the preparation of this important document.
A Reflection Based on Scientific Evidence
The OPP's publication comes at a time when scientific research has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin, D-lysergic acid (LSD), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), ketamine, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT/Ayahuasca) in significantly alleviating symptoms of various mental health conditions, including treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addictive behaviours.
The document's main objective is to provide information based on scientific evidence and present recommendations for psychologists' practice in this emerging field of intervention, at a time when, in our country, the regulation of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is still limited to the use of ketamine.
According to M. Carmo Carvalho, "The conditions under which the therapeutic potential of psychedelics can be harnessed in mental health are currently being clarified, with protocols increasingly supported by scientific evidence." This advancement opens up new opportunities for psychologists' intervention, making training and regulation of their activity in this area essential.
Document consultant and reviewer
M. Carmo Carvalho was invited to collaborate on the document's preparation due to her regular collaboration with organisations in our country that promote the dissemination of psychedelic science, such as Safe Journey, SPACE Portugal, and Kosmicare Association, of which she was a co-founder. The invitation followed an approach from Safe Journey to the OPP, which recommended her name as a consultant and reviewer of the report.
"My contributions to the document were aimed at clarifying the concepts that are cross-referenced to psychoactive substances, which I have generally studied for decades and which are my main research topic," she states.
The Professor from the Faculty of Education and Psychology at Católica in Porto also clarified the levels of psychologists' intervention in this matter, ranging from psychoeducation to the preparation of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP), integration of (deliberate or otherwise) experiences, and intervention in psychological emergencies.
A landmark publication for psychology professionals
The report, published in January 2025, is now available for consultation on the OPP website. The initiative represents an important milestone in the updating and training of Psychology professionals for a field that could revolutionise mental health intervention in the coming years.
