VA authorizes 5-year, $1.5M research into MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans

VA authorizes 5-year, $1.5M research into MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans
by Mike Heuer
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 3, 2024

The Department of Veterans Affairs has authorized a study on the use of a popular psychedelic drug to treat veterans afflicted with post traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder.

The VA agreed to fund a study into the potential benefits of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy to treat PTSD and alcohol use disorder among veterans, the VA announced on Tuesday. It is the first VA-funded study of psychedelic-assisted therapy since the 1960s.

The "VA is on the cutting edge of clinical research for veteran health, including the investigation of psychedelics for mental health," Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal said.

"This study will give us better insight into the potential of MDMA-assisted therapy as a treatment for veterans," Elnahal added.

Better known as MDMA, the drug is a lab-made synthetic that stimulates users but also is categorized as a psychedelic drug because it alters users' visual and time perception.

Researchers at Brown and Yale universities will conduct the study and evaluate the potential use of MDMA along with psychotherapy to increase emotional openness, reduce fear and promote introspection during therapy sessions.

The study will give some participants MDMA and others a placebo made from a lower dose of MDMA to assess the potential effectiveness of the psychedelic drug to treat veterans.

Researchers will conduct the study at the Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island and the West Haven VA Medical Center in Connecticut starting in 2025.

The VA is investing $1.5 million to conduct the study over five years using pharmaceutical-grade MDMA while closely monitoring test subjects to ensure their well-being while participating in the study.

The study is part of a broader effort by the VA to use scientific studies to determine the potential benefits of using MDMA and psilocybin mushrooms in conjunction with psychotherapy to treat PTSD, depression and other conditions in veterans.

Psychedelic drugs are a class of substances that alter people's consciousness or awareness and can be produced organically or synthetically.

The VA discourages veterans from self-medicating with psychedelics or other substances that aren't prescribed.

A similar study in September concluded more than 5 million Americans undergoing treatment for depression might benefit from therapy that includes the use of psilocybin mushrooms.