Harnessing Nanocarriers to Improve Psychiatric Treatment: Progress, Limitations, and Future Directions

To address clinical bottlenecks of traditional antipsychotic drugs, including delayed onset of action, significant peripheral side effects, and poor patient compliance, nanodelivery systems offer a feasible approach through their unique physicochemical properties to improve drug solubility, optimize in vivo transport, and enhance blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration efficiency. This review focuses on the application potential and translational value of nanodelivery systems in psychiatric disorders. We systematically summarize recent advances in the construction strategies of mainstream nanocarriers, including lipid‑based, polymer‑based, inorganic nanomaterials, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), and Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), as well as commonly used nanoparticle preparation and characterization techniques. We briefly discuss key challenges facing nanoformulations, such as long‑term safety, large‑scale production, and batch‑to‑batch consistency, and highlight future directions driven by artificial intelligence and precision medicine. This review aims to provide insights for the rational design of nanodelivery systems for psychiatric disorders and to advance the development of precision psychiatry.