Will psychedelic drugs transform mental health treatment?

Psychedelic drugs have long been been used for their mind-altering
effects. Now, they are making their way into western medicine as a
treatment for mental health disorders. From July, psychiatrists in
Australia will be able to prescribe MDMA for post-traumatic stress
disorder, making it the first country in the world to recognise
psychedelics as medicines. The US could soon follow, with plans for
the US Food and Drug Administration to be asked for approval to
treat PTSD with MDMA this year. Ian Sample speaks to correspondent
Hannah Devlin about how the science behind psychedelic therapy has
progressed, and hears from Prof Celia Morgan about what treatment
is actually like, what we know about the risks and what’s left to
learn. Help support our independent journalism at
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