VA and HHS sign agreement to expand psychedelic therapy research for veterans

The Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) signed an agreement Monday to increase coordination on research into psychedelic drugs for treating veterans' mental health disorders.

Under the new memorandum of understanding (MOU), VA and HHS plan to:

• Increase clinical trial participation
• Train therapists, nurses, and doctors to administer psychedelic medications if they receive federal approval
• Collect data and evidence to support patients, physicians, and federal regulators in considering such treatments

The agreement follows an executive order signed in April by President Donald Trump that directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to accelerate its review of several psychedelic treatments for mental illnesses.

The order largely addressed research for ibogaine, a hallucinogen derived from an African shrub, that some veterans have found helpful in ameliorating anxiety, PTSD, and depression symptoms. It commits at least $50 million to increase research on ibogaine therapy.

Research Context

Studies on PTSD in the general population have shown that a third of patients may be resistant to traditional treatments, with up to 50% not responsive to psychological therapy and 40% untreatable with common medications.

An estimated 4.8 million American veterans have used psychedelic drugs, according to a study released last month by the think tank RAND.

Included in Monday's announcement was that the VA signed an agreement with the FDA to increase collaboration supporting the development of therapies for treating serious mental health conditions.

"President Trump opened up a world of possibility for treating veterans and others with mental health conditions, and VA is proud to be part of this important work," VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. "Today's MOU ensures effective cooperation with HHS as we try to turn research into life-changing treatment."

Ongoing Research

VA researchers are involved in more than 20 research trials on the use of psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin for treating:

• Severe post-traumatic stress disorder
• Depression
• Substance abuse
• Other mental health conditions

Studies are also underway in the Defense Department. A $4.9 million research study is ongoing at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on the effectiveness of MDMA — known commonly as Molly or Ecstasy — for the treatment of mild to moderate PTSD.

Veteran Usage and Support

According to RAND, the most common hallucinogens used by veterans across their lifetimes were:

• LSD: 19.6% reporting use
• Psilocybin (magic mushrooms): 18.6%
• MDMA: 7.7%
• Mescaline: 7.7%

Fewer than 2.9% reported using another type of hallucinogenic drug such as ibogaine, ketamine, or ayahuasca.

The study also found that veterans were more likely to support the legal use of psilocybin mushrooms and LSD — 23% for mushrooms and 11% for LSD — but support for MDMA, at 9%, was about the same as the rest of the country.

Voices from the Community

Ron Adkins, an Army Reserve intelligence analyst and veterans advocate who deployed twice to Afghanistan, was on hand Monday for the MOU signing. He said the significance of the agreement lies in exploring new approaches to "the complexity of mental illness."

"The cognitive space is a very complex environment. We are all very different people, so the treatments that might work very well for one person could be wholly ineffective for another," Adkins said in an interview with Military Times. "I'm hoping we get better answers on what is effective for [veterans] trying to figure this out."

U.S. veterans have traveled to Israel, Mexico, and elsewhere in the past decade to receive psychedelic treatment for mental health disorders, often paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for the promise of relief. Adkins said that should not happen.

"We need to continue to innovate as we as a nation does," Adkins said.

Regulatory Background

In 2024, the FDA rejected a request that MDMA be approved for treating PTSD in adults, saying more research was needed to determine its safety and efficacy. The VA is conducting such a study in Providence, Rhode Island.