Pillen voor de psych(e); een exploratief onderzoek naar neuro-enhancement onder Nederlandse - Psychiaters en artsen

BACKGROUND: Psychotropic drugs are being used increasingly for the purpose of neuro-enhancement. A survey conducted by Nature revealed that neuro-enhancing drugs were also being used quite widely by non-medical academics. AIM: To investigate the extent to which psychiatrists and other doctors working in psychiatry in the Netherlands actually take neuro-enhancing drugs themselves, and to record their views on the use of such drug. The findings form a basis for an ethical debate about the use of neuro-enhancing drugs in the Netherlands. METHOD: We transmitted an online questionnaire, based on the survey conducted by Nature, to as many as possible psychiatrists, trainees and other doctors working in psychiatry in the Netherlands. RESULTS: 11% of the respondents reported that they had occasionally taken neuro-enhancing medication without any medical reason in order to improve their own mental functioning. 66% of respondents felt that no-one should be allowed to take psychotropic drugs unless these have been prescribed for a strictly medical reason. CONCLUSION: Compared to those who responded to the Nature survey, respondents to the Dutch survey seemed to have considerably more reservations about the private use of neuro-enhancing drugs and seemed to be more critical about their use in general.