U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to test psilocybin for depression

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is launching a national clinical trial to test the efficacy of psilocybin in treating veterans with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and PTSD. The study, titled Psilocybin Intervention for Veterans Overcoming Treatment-Resistant Depression (PIVOT), will utilize a double-blind, randomized controlled trial design.

Two sites in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center and the Birmingham VA Health Care System, are among the five national locations participating in the research. Participants will receive two dosages of pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin in a controlled clinical setting with psychological support and FDA-developed safety protocols.

The initiative follows an executive order aimed at accelerating medical research into psychedelic compounds for serious mental illnesses. While psilocybin remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance, the VA emphasizes that this research is conducted under strict supervision and strongly advises veterans against self-medicating or replacing prescribed treatments with unprescribed substances.