Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) Applauds Bipartisan Push to Include Active Duty Military Members in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Research

SAN DIEGO, April 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), a nonprofit organization focused on improving the lives of veterans through psychedelic-assisted therapy, announces its support for Rep. Dan Crenshaw's Bipartisan Letter to urge the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to include active duty servicemembers in their research on psychedelics.

As a nonprofit organization that supports veterans in accessing psychedelic-assisted therapies, VETS recognizes the critical importance of including active duty servicemembers in psychedelic research. The recent Phase 3 Trial of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD demonstrated the significant impact of psychedelic treatment on individuals suffering from trauma-related disorders. Other compounds, like psilocybin and ibogaine, are also showing incredible promise in addressing these issues– but more research is critically needed.

"We understand firsthand the struggles many United States veterans and servicemembers face," said Amber Capone, Executive Director of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, Inc. 

"Psychedelic therapies have been instrumental in overcoming many challenges following service for hundreds of veterans we provide resources to. With a lingering veteran suicide rate of roughly 20 per day – and estimates that it could be double that amount – we need to address this epidemic swiftly and strategically. All active duty service personnel will eventually become veterans, and they should not have to wait until that time to address issues such as PTSD, TBI, depression, and moral injury. Including them in psychedelic research is a critical first step in winning the new fight at hand - the battle to end veteran suicide."

We join other mental health and veterans groups from across the country in voicing our support for this call to action. The inclusion of active duty servicemembers in psychedelic research is a critical first step to providing access to life-saving treatments to those who need them the most.

"We support Representative Crenshaw's initiative. Our active duty service men and women deserve to be included in NIH-funded psychedelic research. Apollo Pact and our scientific and research advisors fully back this initiative," said former Congresswoman Mimi Walters, chair of Apollo Pact.

VETS appreciates the efforts of Reps. Dan Crenshaw, Luis Correa, Jack Bergman, Donald Davis, Chris Deluzio, Max Miller, Nancy Mace, Morgan Luttrell, Mikie Sherrill, Jimmy Panetta, and Ro Khanna for signing onto this critical effort. We look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers and other stakeholders for expanded access to psychedelic-assisted therapies and ultimately, an end to veteran suicide.

For more information on VETS' advocacy efforts, visit our website or follow us on social media.

Contact:
Pace PR
[email protected]
724-825-3484

SOURCE Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS)