Calnan Megan, Blest-Hopley Grace, Busch Chris, Adams Milly, Ruffell Simon G D, Piper Theodore, Roseman Leor, Kettner Hannes, Carhart-Harris Robin
Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Brain Behav. 2025 Jul;15(7):e70660. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70660.
Military veterans are at risk of various mental health conditions, with profound implications for post-deployment quality of life. Current treatment options encounter high dropout rates and non-responsiveness, and overlook the importance of community building in veterans' holistic recovery. Preliminary research suggests psychedelics offer therapeutic benefits for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans. Integrating psychedelic therapies with a communal retreat setting could provide a more holistic framework for improving veterans' well-being.
To evaluate the effects of psychedelic retreats on mental health and community reintegration in veterans.
Fifty-eight veterans attended psilocybin or ayahuasca retreats. Participants completed eight mental health questionnaires (e.g. PTSD Checklist, PCL-5; Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9), and the Military to Civilian Questionnaire (M2C-Q) up to 4 weeks both pre- and post-retreat. Paired t-tests analyzed changes in outcome responses between time points, and gender and substance-specific analysis was conducted. Baseline scores were correlated with improvements in PCL-5 and PHQ-9 to investigate the relationship between initial symptom severity and percentage improvement following the retreat.
Significant improvements were found for all eight outcomes post-retreat, with the greatest percentage improvements found for depression (PHQ-9; 29.1%) and PTSD (PCL-5; 26.1%). Veterans attending psilocybin retreats showed greater improvements in seven out of eight outcomes, whereas ayahuasca retreats demonstrated greater improvements in PCL-5 scores for PTSD (ayahuasca: 26.4%; Psilocybin 24.8%). Male participants experienced greater improvements across all outcomes apart from the PCL-5 for PTSD (Male: 24.1%; Female: 32.1%). Higher baseline scores on the PCL-5 (PTSD) and PHQ-9 (depression), indicating worse initial mental health, correlated with greater outcome improvements.
This is the first study to investigate psychedelic retreats as a holistic therapy for veterans' mental health alongside community reintegration. Psilocybin and ayahuasca retreats significantly improved veterans' mental well-being, quality of life, PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep, concussion, and post-deployment reintegration. Participants with more severe symptoms have the potential to benefit most from this intervention, with nuanced insight into improved outcomes based on gender and type of substance. Psychedelic retreats could provide a treatment framework to aid veterans' recovery by addressing psychological well-being, communal factors, and reintegration into civilian life.
退伍军人面临各种心理健康问题，对退伍后的生活质量有深远影响。目前的治疗方案存在高辍学率和无反应性问题，且忽视了社区建设在退伍军人全面康复中的重要性。初步研究表明，迷幻药对退伍军人的抑郁症和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）具有治疗益处。将迷幻疗法与社区静修环境相结合，可以为改善退伍军人的幸福感提供一个更全面的框架。
评估迷幻静修对退伍军人心理健康和重新融入社区的影响。
58名退伍军人参加了裸盖菇素或死藤水静修活动。参与者在静修前后最多4周内完成了八项心理健康问卷（如PTSD检查表，PCL-5；患者健康问卷，PHQ-9）以及军民问卷（M2C-Q）。配对t检验分析了各时间点结果反应的变化，并进行了性别和物质特异性分析。将基线分数与PCL-5和PHQ-9的改善情况进行相关性分析，以研究初始症状严重程度与静修后改善百分比之间的关系。
静修后所有八项结果均有显著改善，其中抑郁症（PHQ-9；29.1%）和PTSD（PCL-5；26.1%）的改善百分比最大。参加裸盖菇素静修的退伍军人在八项结果中的七项上有更大改善，而死藤水静修在PTSD的PCL-5评分上有更大改善（死藤水：26.4%；裸盖菇素：24.8%）。除PTSD的PCL-5外（男性：24.1%；女性：32.1%），男性参与者在所有结果上的改善都更大。PCL-5（PTSD）和PHQ-9（抑郁症）的基线分数越高，表明初始心理健康状况越差，与结果改善越大相关。
这是第一项将迷幻静修作为退伍军人心理健康和重新融入社区的整体疗法进行研究的研究。裸盖菇素和死藤水静修显著改善了退伍军人的心理健康、生活质量、PTSD、焦虑、抑郁、睡眠、脑震荡和退伍后重新融入情况。症状更严重的参与者可能从这种干预中获益最大，基于性别和物质类型对改善结果有细微的洞察。迷幻静修可以提供一个治疗框架，通过解决心理健康、社区因素和重新融入平民生活来帮助退伍军人康复。
