The latest on MDMA and psilocybin research

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MDMA and Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for the Treatment of PTSD: Updates and Future Direction

Leslie Morland, PsyD and Joshua Woolley, MD, PhD

Wednesday, October 15 at 2:00pm ET

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About the Presenters

LESLIE MORLAND, PsyD is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego and clinical psychologist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and a senior researcher at the National Center for PTSD-Women’s Health Science Division at the Boston VA. As a national leader in trauma-focused care for veterans for over 25 years, Dr. Morland directs clinical research aimed at expanding access to efficient, evidence-based treatments for PTSD. This includes executing trials investigating the clinical efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy including MDMA and psilocybin to enhance evidence-based PTSD treatments for individuals and couples. She also leads studies examining the potential of oxytocin to augment trauma therapy. Dr. Morland actively mentors researchers across multiple national initiatives and has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and invited national and international presentations.

JOSHUA WOOLLEY, MD, PhD is Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco’s Weill Institute for Neurosciences and a staff psychiatrist at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Dr. Woolley’s is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist whose research is focused on developing and testing novel pharmacological interventions for individuals with mental illness. In addition to his research on the effects and mechanisms of oxytocin, Dr. Woolley has developed a program of research focused on investigating the psychological, behavioral, physiological, and neural effects of psilocybin and related compounds in individuals with psychiatric disorders including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders. He has also conducted research on MDMA for PTSD and published articles describing current challenges in psychedelic research as well as recommendations on how to address these challenges particularly through better clinical trial design. His research has resulted in over 45 peer-reviewed publications.

About the Topic

NOTE: This lecture is an update to a similar talk given by these presenters in this lecture series in January 2024.

Psychedelic assisted therapy such as MDMA and psilocybin for the treatment of mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression has received increased attention since their breakthrough status was designated by FDA. This presentation will provide an overview on the unique role psychedelics may play in the treatment of mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression. A review of the current literature and important gaps in the literature will be provided. Clinical implications and future research for the use of psychedelics for PTSD and depression will be highlighted.

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Upcoming Lectures

October 15	MDMA and Psilocybin Therapies for PTSD Treatment: Updates and Future Direction	Leslie Morland, PsyD and Josh Wooley, MD, PhD
November 19	Delivering Prolonged Exposure for PTSD in 60-Minute Sessions	Sheila Rauch, PhD, ABPP
December 17	Moral Distress in Healthcare: Taking Care of Yourself & Supporting Colleagues	Sonya Norman, PhD
January 21	Shared Decision-Making for PTSD	Sadie Larsen, PhD
February 18	Trauma-Informed Care	Lynette Adams, PhD and Elissa McCarthy, PhD

Featured Article

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for PTSD

Psychedelics are being increasingly researched as a novel method of augmenting the effectiveness of psychotherapies for the treatment of mental health conditions. The most studied psychedelics to date include psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). This article focuses on the use of psilocybin- and MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Veterans.

Read the full version of this article authored by this month's lecture presenters

Free Resources

Assessment Tools

Proper assessment of trauma exposure and PTSD is best accomplished with validated measures. As a provider treating Veterans, you have access to many free assessment tools from the National Center for PTSD.

A few options are:

See a list of all measures authored by the National Center for PTSD

Not sure which measure is best in your setting or have questions about how to use any of these tools? Please reach out to the PTSD Consultation Program. Our expert clinicians can respond via email, phone, or video call to support the care that you are providing to Veterans who have experienced trauma. There is no cost for our services.

Veteran talking about his recovery on AboutFace

New on AboutFace: Substance Use & PTSD

Sometimes Veterans use alcohol or other drugs to cope with trauma or painful memories. When Veterans struggle with substance use, PTSD can be the root cause.

Many Veterans can look back and pinpoint a moment when they realized that their substance use was a problem. That moment looks different for everyone.

The new Substance Use and PTSD section on AboutFace, features informative text interspersed with videos of several Veterans talking in their own words about how evidence-based treatment for PTSD and substance use helped them recover.

EXPLORE THE NEW PAGE NOW

Are you treating U.S. Veterans?

Are you treating veterans? We can help. PTSD Consultation Program

Our team of expert clinicians is available to consult with any healthcare provider treating U.S. veterans in any setting.

We can discuss assessment, diagnosis, psychotherapy, medications, collaborating with VA care, patient and family education, continuing education, and just about anything else related to veterans and PTSD.

No question is too big or too small.

www.ptsd.va.gov/consult

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