NEWS
October 10, 2024 – WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
The First European Citizens’ Initiative for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies to be launched at the beginning of 2025
24 organizations and associations, researchers, therapists, patients, citizens from 17 European countries, are preparing a one-year campaign to collect one million signatures to call the European Commission to take action for psychedelic-assisted therapies in the European healthcare system.
For those envisioning a future where patients across the European Union (EU) have access to safe, effective, and innovative therapies to address their mental health needs, this is groundbreaking news. The full registration as a European Citizens Initiative starts the journey towards establishing an expert consensus on standards of psychedelic therapies and improving access to EU-funded research for therapeutic applications.
Today, on World Mental Health Day, we announce the official launch of the European Citizens’ Initiative Psychedelicare on 14 January 2025 to call for the future roll-out of psychedelic assisted-therapies in the European healthcare systems.
Backed by organizations and scientific societies on mental health and scientific research, the initiative has been officially registered by the European Commission on 11 September.
The human, economic and social costs of the mental health crisis are evident for all those who work on this issue. 1 in 6 people suffer from mental health conditions, and half felt depressed or anxious in the last 12 months. Up to 50% of patients do not respond to the psychiatric treatments currently available. The economic costs of mental illnesses have been estimated at 4.2% of the Union’s annual GDP, equating to €600 billion a year.
In the meantime, science is demonstrating the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapies. These treatments can provide robust, safe and rapid clinical improvements with durable effects in treating conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, end-of-life anxiety, and substance use disorders. Psychedelic-assisted therapies in some cases can heal suffering people as no other therapy available.
In that sense, the initiative supports the right of EU citizens to eventually access affordable psychedelic-assisted therapies, if needed.
Starting 14 January 2025, there will be one year to collect 1.000.000 signatures, from at least 7 EU Member States, in order to formally call the European Commission to foster equitable, timely, affordable, safe, and legal access to innovative psychedelic-assisted therapies. If the campaign reaches this goal, the European Commission will have up to 6 months to answer the initiative and state what action it will undertake, if any.
“With the launch in January, begins a year-long campaign that can bring hope to millions of European citizens suffering from mental health problems” says Théo Giubilei, Founder of the PsychedeliCare Initiative.
“Our goal is to alleviate suffering and improve quality of life, causes worth fighting for” adds Mario Zulić, Founder of Nepopularna Psihologija and National Coordinator for Croatia.
”Psychedelic therapies could open new frontiers in mental health care and trigger a real Renaissance of wellbeing. Our objective is to stimulate a constructive and evidence-based discussion to fully explore their therapeutic potential” underlines Annarita Eva, Member of Eumans and National Coordinator for Italy.
To learn more about, and to join the network, have a look at our Teams and follow us on Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook.
With the support of our Partners.
September 11, 2024
Psychedelics for mental health: the European Commission formally registers the European Citizens’ Initiative PsychedeliCare
On 11 September 2024, the European Commission formally registered the first European Citizens’ Initiative for mental wellbeing: PsychedeliCare.
For those envisioning a future where patients across the European Union (EU) have access to safe, effective, and innovative therapies to address their mental health needs, this is groundbreaking news. The full registration as a European Citizens Initiative starts the journey towards establishing an expert consensus on standards of psychedelic therapies and improving access to EU-funded research for therapeutic applications.
“European citizens affected by treatment-resistant depression, PTSD or substance use disorders and their loved ones have waited long enough for potentially life-changing psychedelic-assisted therapies” says Théo Giubilei, Founder of the PsychedeliCare initiative. “Reaching this milestone is a critical beginning to better supporting the patients living with mental health conditions across the EU.”
We intend to decide with our partners, national teams and activists the date of launch and announce it by 10 October 2024 on “World Mental Health Day”.
