Which of the following best describes psychoactive medications?

Psychoactive medications are best described as substances that alter mood and perception. These medications primarily affect the central nervous system and can have a significant impact on how individuals think, feel, and behave. They include a wide range of drugs such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and mood stabilizers, each of which can modify emotional states, perceptions of reality, and cognitive functioning.

By affecting neurotransmitter systems in the brain, psychoactive medications can help manage various psychological disorders, influencing mood (e.g., reducing depression or anxiety), perception (altered states of awareness), and cognitive functions (like memory). This classification does not encompass medications that solely target physiological effects, such as those aimed exclusively at pain relief or physical endurance, which are more specialized in their action and do not broadly affect mental states in the way that psychoactive substances do.