Mind Medicine Australia is delighted to announce that it is funding two new research projects by the ANU School of Medicine and Psychology and a team led by Professor Paul Fitzgerald, Associate Professor Bernadette Fitzgibbon and Dr Neil Bailey, to broaden our understanding of the effectiveness and application of psychedelic medicines.
According to Associate Professor Fitzgibbon: “The first of the trials will look at the effects of a single dose of psilocybin or MDMA in people who don’t have a mental illness but do have training in using psychedelic assisted therapies. Undertaking psychedelic treatment in a one-to-one situation will be expensive, which will make it challenging for many people to access without government subsidies. If we can show that psychedelic group therapy is a safe alternative this may open the door to making treatment much more accessible.”
“We’d also like to understand if therapeutic competency – by experiencing the effects of the substance – can enhance the therapists’ ability to support a patient undertaking psychedelic assisted therapy,” Associate Professor Fitzgibbon added.
The second research project funded by Mind Medicine Australia will look at whether psilocybin or MDMA can be used as part of therapy for treating people with obsessive compulsive disorder and consider which form of psychotherapy will work best with the medication.
Peter Hunt AM, The Chairman of Mind Medicine Australia said: “We are delighted to support Professor Paul Fitzgerald and his colleagues at the ANU on these important research projects”. T
ania de Jong AM, Executive Director of Mind Medicine Australia said: “We are excited to give Australian therapists who have received training in using these therapies the chance to experience the medicines in a group environment and look forward to hearing their insights”.
