Drugs in Context

Abstract

This article demonstrates that psychoanalysis and socially oriented psychiatry were crucial to the understanding and adoption of the first effective psychopharmaceuticals in North American psychiatry. In the 1950s and the early 1960s, psychoanalysts, socially oriented psychiatrists, and biologists collaborated, debated, and organized interdisciplinary conferences to situate the biochemistry of new psychopharmaceuticals, such as chlorpromazine, in the broader psychosocial context of patients' lives. Psychoanalytical and sociological perspectives not only helped American psychiatrists explain the mechanism of drug action in research but also established the professional authority of psychiatrists over the new pharmaceuticals. As modern pharmacology narrows its focus to microscopic targets in the body, I argue that this early drug research illustrates the present-day need for holistic and interdisciplinary approaches to drug response that acknowledge the psychosocial significance of psychiatric medication in the lives of individuals.

Psychodynamically Oriented Psychopharmacotherapy: Towards a Necessary Synthesis

“…It should be noted that non-specific factors, such as adherence to treatment protocols together with a therapeutic alliance and the therapist’s competence significantly contribute to treatment outcomes and may account for more of the variance than the specific treatment approach (Chatoor and Krupnick, 2001). In a more holistic perspective, this further confirms the importance of a strong analytic/medical-patient relationship (Alfonso, 2009; Ramos, 2013).…”

“…Indeed, the combination of psychoanalysis with drug therapy offers new possibilities for the treatment of seriously ill patients. This applies in particular to patients more vulnerable to stress that could be treated analytically by using medication to prevent serious depression, psychotic decompensation, or destructive behavior (Normand and Bluestone, 1986; Ramos, 2013). In a survey of members of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis, 90% of respondents revealed they were prescribing medications.…”