psychopharmacology

American  

[sahy-koh-fahr-muh-kol-uh-jee] / ˌsaɪ koʊˌfɑr məˈkɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the branch of pharmacology dealing with the psychological effects of drugs.

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psychopharmacology British  

/ ˌsaɪkəʊˌfɑːməkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌsaɪkəʊˌfɑːməˈkɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of drugs that affect the mind

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psychopharmacology Scientific  

/ sī′kō-fär′mə-kŏl′ə-jē /

1. The study and clinical use of drugs that affect the mind, especially those that are used to treat psychiatric disorders.

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Other Word Forms

• psychopharmacologic adjective
• psychopharmacological adjective
• psychopharmacologically adverb
• psychopharmacologist noun

Etymology

Origin of psychopharmacology

First recorded in 1915–20; psycho- + pharmacology

Example Sentences

Andrew Scull’s “Desperate Remedies” tells the story of psychiatry in the United States from the 19th-century asylum to 21st-century psychopharmacology.

From Washington Post • Jun. 3, 2022

In delineating this history — from asylums to psychopharmacology — he considers the challenge that individuals with mental illness pose for the health of a modern society.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2022

“They’re turned into mechanics, dispensing psychopharmacology over a 72-hour period, or a one-week period, and then, ‘My job is done.’”

From New York Times • Feb. 5, 2022

Other evidence for the rewarding nature of human bonding comes from psychopharmacology.

From Salon • May 31, 2021

In Britain, Steinberg was able to study psychology at University College London, where she went on to hold one of the world’s first chairs in psychopharmacology.

From Nature • Jan. 26, 2020