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Pharmacotherapy is the use of medications to treat or manage a health or mental health condition. In mental health care, medications may be used to reduce symptoms of conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, and may be used alongside other treatments such as psychotherapy.
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Editorial responsibilityReferences and further reading
- World Health Organization. (2009). Pharmacological treatment of mental disorders in primary health care. World Health Organization. PMID: 23762966. PubMed View source
- Huhn, M., Tardy, M., Spineli, L. M., Kissling, W., Förstl, H., Pitschel-Walz, G., Leucht, C., Samara, M., Dold, M., Davis, J. M., & Leucht, S. (2014). Efficacy of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for adult psychiatric disorders: A systematic overview of meta-analyses. JAMA Psychiatry, 71(6), 706–715. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.112. PMID: 24789675. PubMed View source
How to cite this entry
Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology. (2026). pharmacotherapy. The Center for Nutritional Psychology.
https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/encyclopedia/pharmacotherapy/Know a term that belongs in the Encyclopedia?
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