The Department of Veterans Affairs is launching a new study on the use of MDMA, a synthetic psychoactive drug commonly known as ecstasy or molly, to treat veterans with severe mental health disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder or alcoholism.
About 80 veterans will participate in the placebo-controlled trial of MDMA-assisted therapy at the VA Providence Healthcare System in Rhode Island.
PTSD is a significant challenge within the veteran community. Former service members face a higher risk of developing PTSD than civilians, largely due to exposure to combat and life-threatening training incidents.
They’re also likelier to struggle with substance abuse disorders, with more than 20% battling alcohol or drug use.
Prolonged trauma is also linked to chronic physical illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, according to a recent study by researchers at Columbia University.
“We need an all-of-the-above strategy when it comes to improving mental health treatments, and under President Trump, that’s exactly what the VA is working to deliver,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. “This trial represents an important step in safely evaluating new approaches and innovations to treat veterans with severe mental health conditions.”
In the past, veterans with PTSD were often forced to go overseas for psychedelic-assisted treatment, often without the supervision of a care team, said Benjamin Krause, a disabled Air Force veteran and attorney who specializes in legal cases involving veterans.
“We’re interested and curious about the direction that this [VA study] goes and whether it’s going to not only help veterans with the issues that they’re dealing with, but also if the research will help civilians get access to these types of treatments,” Mr. Krause said in an interview with The Washington Times.
Researchers will compare the results of those who are prescribed MDMA-assisted therapy to those who receive a placebo. Both will also receive the same level of psychotherapy, officials said.
“The existing treatment of just going to talk therapy is not sufficient for everybody,” Mr. Krause said. “Some individuals, because each person is different and unique, require this more intensive type of alternative treatment.”
MDMA works by rapidly increasing brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. Users typically experience intense feelings of happiness and increased feelings of warmth, openness and closeness to others, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Officials with the Disabled American Veterans applauded the VA’s decision to launch the new MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans living with PTSD and alcohol use disorder. They said the study represents an important step forward in better understanding the role psychedelics could play in veteran mental healthcare.
“Far too many veterans continue to struggle with the invisible wounds of war, often after exhausting traditional treatment options,” DAV officials said in a statement. “Veterans deserve access to every safe, evidence-based tool that may help them heal.”
The transition from military to civilian life can be challenging for some veterans. While most are successful in trading military camouflage for a business suit, roughly 1 in 4 say it was at least somewhat difficult, according to a 2019 study by the Pew Research Center.
Some veterans are so damaged by PTSD that they can’t work or even exist in civil society.
“The hope is that not only will this [MDMA study] help them get out of the house, but that it may help them get jobs and pay taxes,” Mr. Krause said. “It may help them lower the probability of having other comorbidities.”
The VA study on MDMA-related therapy follows President Trump’s April 18 executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate access to treatment for patients with serious mental illness, including veterans with complex and treatment-resistant conditions.
“We are accelerating the research, approval, and responsible access to promising mental health treatments — including psychedelic therapies like Ibogaine — to confront our nation’s mental health crisis head-on, especially for veterans,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “The [Food and Drug Administration] will prioritize therapies with Breakthrough Therapy designation, where early evidence shows meaningful improvement over existing options for serious mental illness.”
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