Healing, spiritual purposes appear to be the driving force behind many veterans' use of psychedelics

Most US military veterans who have used psychedelics reported in a recent survey that they used the substances for healing or spiritual exploration, and more than 80% said they benefited from the experience – even those who had challenging results.

The survey also found that many of the veterans would be more likely to seek mental health care, or return to care with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), if psychedelic therapy were offered.

Findings from this extensive study of veterans' experiences with psychedelics could give clinicians a better understanding of the veteran community's expectations and specific mental health care needs, researchers say.

“Because of the complexity that veterans face and the increased risk they face when experiencing not just one, but multiple mental and physical health challenges, it makes sense that they will look for opportunities to address those challenges to take. , especially if they feel like they're not exposed to the current system here in the U.S.,” said lead author Alan Davis, associate professor and director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at The Ohio State University College of Social Work .

The research was recently published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

The VA estimates that more than 17 U.S. veterans die by suicide every day Data from 2021. And studies suggest between them 44% and 72% of veterans are very stressed during the transition from military to civilian life.

The research team, which included veterans, consulted with other former military personnel to design a study that examined patterns of psychedelic use, the perspectives of those who did and did not report the use, and what types of benefits and harms consequences associated with use by veterans. of the medications. Veterans were referred to the survey through online advertisements and communities, email invitations, and word of mouth.

“Understanding the culture of military veterans is critical for civilian therapists working with this population,” said co-author Mark Bates, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot and clinical psychologist at Sunstone Therapies, a treatment center in Maryland that conducts research looks at psychedelic-assisted therapies.

“It's about preventing the therapeutic relationship from being unintentionally undermined and knowing how to use military culture as an effective frame of reference. This is also part of the reason why we carefully consulted with a team of experienced consultants in developing and validating the survey questions. .”

As veterans' advocacy for access to psychedelic therapy has increased in recent years, Bates said, “There's a really urgent need to explore anything that shows promise for mental health treatment.”

The study sample consisted of 426 participants, divided into two groups: those who had (217) and those who had not (209) used psychedelics. Drugs used by veterans included psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, ketamine, MDMA (ecstasy), ayahuasca, ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT (pad), and peyote/mescaline. The most commonly reported reasons for use were healing or treatment (69%), spiritual exploration (47.5%), or recreation (38.7%).

Compared to veterans who had not used psychedelics, the veterans who had used the drugs were more likely to be older and to have spent more time in service, and a higher proportion of them reported PTSD, depression and anxiety.

Although some participants were alone when they used psychedelics, many reported using them in spiritual locations or outdoors, with friends, or at medical clinics or retreat centers, both in the United States and abroad.

Overall, participants rated the psychedelic experiences as helpful, regardless of whether they found the experience uniformly positive (88.6%) or experienced one or more adverse consequences (81.3%). The most common side effects were flashbacks and craving or trying to reduce the use of psychedelics. Fewer participants reported being arrested or seeking medical treatment related to drug use.

Statistical analysis identified a number of factors that reduced the likelihood of negative outcomes: being older, using psilocybin, having depression or anxiety, obtaining psychedelics from a safe source, being prepared, comfortable and confident during treatment, and being able to trust the treatment. let go and be open to the experience.

“This finding underscores the importance of people in the veteran community knowing that keeping these things in mind prior to use can help them set up for the best possible outcome,” Davis said.

Because most psychedelic substances are classified as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, the only legal way for most people to currently access them in the United States is in a clinical trial setting. Davis is leading an ongoing psilocybin-assisted therapy trial at Ohio State for the treatment of PTSD among military veterans, and Bates and colleagues at Sunstone Therapies have treated many veterans to date.

The conclusion that veterans surveyed would welcome an opportunity to access psychedelic-assisted therapy at the VA is a major highlight of the study, the researchers said.

“What's really exciting about this study and understanding veterans' interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy is that it potentially opens up an opportunity to directly address some of their core issues,” Davis said. “Veterans are dying by suicide and fleeing the country to find these opportunities elsewhere, so the message is clear. This needs to be available.”

Other co-authors were Nathan Sepeda, Adam Levin and Stacey Armstrong of Ohio State; independent researcher Erik Lund; Robert Koffman of Sunstone Therapies; Katinka Hooyer of the Medical College of Wisconsin; and Rachel Yehuda of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.