Advancing Health and Well-Being in the Military and Veteran Community

A Roundtable Discussion of Psychedelics and Mental Health

The George W. Bush Institute co-hosted a roundtable with The Bob Woodruff­ Foundation on May 11, 2022 to discuss psychedelics and mental health in the military and veteran community. The discussion addressed the necessary preparation for psychedelic-assisted therapy, any concerns regarding clinical implementation, and the equity of care. This paper shares a summary of key discussion points, without implying agreement or consensus among the convening participants.

Those convened represented a wide range of important relevant expertise in mental health clinical care, evidence-based therapy for PTSD, suicide prevention, brain research, clinical logistics, clinical training, professional qualifications for clinicians, public policy, and legislation.1 Some of the experts were already engaged in psychedelic-assisted therapy; some were not. This convening complemented prior convenings, panels, and lecture series that discussed the science of psychedelics in mental health and provided testimonials of personal experience