“Independent psychedelic research is not a competitor or a replacement of VA’s efforts.” It is an important complement to VA’s efforts. It can help veterans reach out who may otherwise be unable to do so.
By Stacey Armstrong and Alan Davis. Ohio State University Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced this summer a major psilocybin-related research initiative, which marked a significant shift in the way America views veterans’ mental health. VA can’t do it alone if they want to know if psychedelic therapy is effective in treating veterans with post-traumatic disorder (PTSD).
The VA is not the primary healthcare provider for most veterans. Research should also reach out to those who do not receive VA care, as well as those who are no longer VA patients. This requires sustained federal support of independent academic research.
The Veteran Suicide Epidemic
Veteran suicide continues to be a major public health issue in the United States. VA reported that 6 398 veterans would die by suicide by 2023. PTSD is a major part of this crisis. Though evidence-based psychotherapies, medications and other treatments help many people to feel better, a significant number of veterans don’t get the relief they need.
Consider Zachariah Collett. He is an Army veteran who served in Iraq and was medically discharged at the age of 25. He was plagued by nightmares and was always on guard. His family also suffered. Years of counseling and medication failed to help.
He said, “I was tortured by my internal conflict, my internal dialogue, and the noise in my head. I couldn’t even be still.”
Although MDMA assisted therapy and a psilocybin early study showed promising PTSD results, veteran-specific research remains limited.
Our team at Ohio State University’s Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education conducted a trial to determine if psilocybin – the main psychoactive component in “magic mushroom” – could be a feasible and safe intervention for veterans suffering from severe PTSD, when combined with structured psychotherapy.
VA and PIVOT
VA launched Psilocybin intervention for veterans overcoming treatment-resistant depression, or PIVOT, in August. This controlled, randomized Phase 3 trial, which will be conducted at five VA Medical Centers, will enroll approximately 240 Veterans with treatment-resistant Depression, whether or not they also have PTSD. The program is designed to provide two dose sessions along with psychological support. It will continue through 2031.
VA has partnered with Compass Pathways to support investigator training and donate its proprietary psilocybin formula. In April, the company was granted an expedited FDA approval pathway for this formulation.
It is an incredible milestone that a federal agency has invested in rigorous research into the therapeutic potentials of psychedelics.
The Change is Welcome, but with a Caveat
As psychedelic researches, we welcome an expanded and more rigorous inquiry program. While these studies or others like them are important, relying on them alone would be a bad idea. Some veterans may never enroll in VA services, while others may not return due to negative past experiences or a distrust for institutions.
In a 2025 article for The War Horse by Navy veteran Dylan Harrington, he described not being able to leave his home or work and losing confidence in the VA. He had gone through several therapists without any relief and was no longer able to trust them.
Veterans may be left out if the only way to develop psychedelic assisted therapy for veterans is through government channels. Some of the most distressing veterans are the least likely to seek treatment within the existing systems.
Our Research & Findings At CPDRE
CPDRE operates as an independent academic research centre outside VA. It conducted the first U.S. psilocybin assisted therapy trial specifically designed for veterans with severe and treatment resistant PTSD. Results were recently published by Communications Medicine, Nature Portfolio.
After a month, 75 percent of the participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria. We observed no serious adverse events. Headaches and short periods of anxiety were reported as side effects.
Collett was among the 12 participants. Collett’s recovery began with a previous integrative therapy programme. He later described psilocybin therapy as having helped him find peace and acceptance in his relationship with his family.
PTSD symptoms of some participants began to improve during the preparation phase before they were given psilocybin. The participants who showed the most improvement during the preparation phase also showed the greatest improvements after the dosing session.
The expectations of participants about the benefits psilocybin had on our sample did not predict this outcome. Also, careful preparation, and the development a supportive, caring therapeutic relationship, may have played a role in improving outcomes. The psilocybin component is only one part of the psilocybin therapy.
This distinction, while it may seem technical, reflects a central question in psychedelics research: What therapeutic benefits are derived from the compound and what comes from human interaction, preparation, and support around it? This question can only be answered by careful scientific research conducted across a variety of settings, including academic research.
Building Parallel Tracks for Greater Access
Please be clear that we do not consider our work to be in competition with or substituting PIVOT. Neither should PIVOT replace independent research. This is a parallel and complementary track that serves veteran mental healthcare while examining different conditions and answering various questions. PIVOT’s scope will be far greater than what CPDRE is able to achieve.
Science independence and objectivity are more important than reach and accessibility.
Risks can arise from concentrating too much on a rapidly developing field in a single research program or within a single institution. Consistent support from multiple funding sources and institutions is essential for long-term scientific advancement. There is both political and scientific support for the expansion of psychedelics in research for veterans.
This alignment may not continue.
Federal agencies and foundations should increase funding for veteran-focused academic research, including investigator-initiated trials testing therapeutic approaches, dosing models and patient populations beyond those studied within VA. Academic centers must partner with veteran serving community organizations in order to increase engagement and recruitment, particularly for veterans who are not part of the VA system. Clinical and research training programs should be designed to prepare clinicians for rigorous psychedelic study with this population.
There are many stakeholders, large and small.
We also have to acknowledge our limitations. We had only 12 participants in our trial, no control group was used and a relatively brief follow-up period. The results are encouraging but do not establish definitive proof of efficacy.
It is impossible for any organization, no matter how large or small, to do this job well by itself. We must be skeptics about any single study’s findings, including ours, and create multiple scientific pathways to the same goal, both within and without the federal funding and research system.
We remain positive about VA’s announcement. Its acceptance of psychedelics research and its capability to conduct large trials represents meaningful steps in a positive direction. These are not the final words for independent research, nor should they be the only route forward.
Independent psychedelic research is not a competitor or a replacement to VA efforts. It is an important complement to VA’s efforts. It can help veterans reach out who may otherwise be unable to do so.
Stacey B. Armstrong works as an associate director and a senior researcher for the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education, located at Ohio State University. Alan K. Davis, director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) at Ohio State University and adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins University.
Mark Groeneveld is the photographer.
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