Czech Republic at the forefront of the fight against mental illness: Help for war-stricken Ukraine and an example for Europe to follow

Prague, May 29th, 2024 - The European Union is facing a serious crisis in the sphere of mental health. In 2023, 46% of Europeans had experience with emotional or psychosocial problems. This fact furthermore significantly impacts the individual countries’ healthcare systems. The Covid pandemic continues to impact people’s health, and the war in Ukraine has impacted it as well. The conflict has devastating effects on the psychological health of the local soldiers and civilians. One prospective method for resolving post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is found in Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). Bringing innovative therapies such as PAT to the healthcare system can provide a generally good way to help the sick while also helping psychiatry as a science as well as improving the general budget. And in this regard, the Czech Republic has great potential to become a leader in the sphere of mental healthcare in Europe, not least because it has a developed a network of research programs, innovative care providers and investors. This provides solutions for patients who are resistant to traditional treatment. Mental health was the main topic of the international conference Novel Mental Health Treatments and Sustainability of Healthcare Systems: Czechia as a Leader of the EU? which took place in Prague and connected respected scientists, experts, regulatory authorities and legislators from the EU member states with members of the European Commission (EC), European Parliament (EP) and representatives from Ukraine. The conference was organized by the Institute for Rational Addiction Policies, the PSYRES Psychedelic Research Foundation and the PsychedelicsEUROPE platform which focuses on European regulation.

In its four main segments, the conference focused on topics such as the regulation of psychoactive substances, psychedelics’ potential use in assisted therapy as part of post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, innovative therapies seen from the perspective of cost-effectiveness and the healthcare systems’ sustainability, as well as investment and philanthropy in the sphere of mental health. Apart from Czech experts and politicians, the conference also featured presentations by international experts Alexis Goosdeel, Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Eric Vermetten, psychiatrist and professor focusing on the medical-biological and psychiatric aspects of psychological trauma, Elliot Marseille, director of the Collaborative for the Economics of Psychedelics at University of Berkeley, and MPs of the Ukrainian parliament Mykhailo Radutskyi, Rostislav Tistyk and Dmytro Gurin. 

Czech Republic at the helm of European initiatives in mental health

“With the increasing pressure on healthcare systems and the need to resolve the rising problems in the spheres of mental health, the European Commission took an important step towards coordinated action and in June 2023 presented the EU’s complex approach to mental health. Just like healthcare itself, mental health has for a long time found itself on the margins of the EU’s interest. This state of things is gradually changing, and it is expected that this trend will continue after the elections into the European parliament in the form of legislative initiatives and financial support for science and research,” says Viktor Chvátal Secretary-General and Founder, PsychedelicsEUROPE.

Despite the low level of awareness at home, the Czech Republic is one of the leaders in the sphere of mental health in Europe. During its Presidency of the Council of Europe, Czechia made mental health the Union’s top agenda. “The Czech Model” combines high-quality research on the potential use of psychedelic substances in healthcare with progressive politics in the sphere of addiction and provides inspiration not only for other member states but also for European institutions.

“Speaking from experience and data, we see that prohibition and repression don’t work. That is not the way to go. In all parameters, it is better to adopt smart regulation built on real data, meaning a regulated market,” says Jindřich Vobořil, Czech National Drug Coordinator. 

“Psychedelics are one of the groups of psychoactive substances which deserve a change in regulation and policy. Their addictive potential is minimal, and their use has minimal negative impacts on health and society,” says Viktor Mravčík, Head of Science at the Institute for Rational Addiction Policies and Advisor to the Czech National Drug Coordinator.

“We can use most psychedelics only as part of our research. The reason is that they have so far not been authorized as medicinal substances. I emphasize the ‘so far,’ as authorization procedures are underway both in the US as well as the EU,” says Jiří Horáček, Head of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology Clinic at 3rd Medical Faculty, Charles University & Head of Centre of Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, Czech National Institute of Mental Health.

“

Our missi

on is to mitigate the impact of mental illness on human lives and society. We see an effective solution in the medicinal potential of psychedelics, and researching their effects on the human organism and mind is absolutely key. That is why we are promoting and supporting them, aiming to use their full potential, minimize risks, acquire valuable and safe therapeutic options and make them available to everyone who may need them. At this moment, we need to secure dozens of millions of Czech Crowns, which will open a path to further study,”

says Jana Bednářová, CEO of PSYRES. 

Ukraine and the example of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT)

The ongoing war in Ukraine has had a devastating effect on the psychological state of not only its soldiers but also its civilian population. Mental health and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have become a question of safety. Therapy using psychedelics such as MDMA or ketamine shows rapid effectiveness. According to research by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, 67% of participants who underwent three sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy no longer fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and 88% recorded significant improvement in symptoms. Ukrainian institutions thus have an increased interest in collaborating with renowned scientists and countries active in this sphere, such as the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy can accelerate the process of recovery for patients suffering from PTSD. This is important because the war in Ukraine has precipitated a rise in the number of complicated cases that do not react to conventional therapy. Based on the estimates of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, between 3 to 4 million Ukrainians are suffering from PTSD, but this number can significantly grow with the war’s potential continuation. And up to 57% of the population is at risk of developing chronic mental illness. These facts were noted at the conference by Ukrainian representatives, among them Mykhailo Radutskyi, Dmytro Gurin, Rostyslav Tistyk, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Inna Yashchu and the leader in the development of mental health rehabilitation services to veterans in Ukraine Kseniia Voznitsyna.

Some of the representatives of the Ukrainian delegation have previously noted that due to the large number of people suffering from trauma on account of the war, Ukraine may become an important research centre for psychedelic-assisted therapy. If the financial support is secured, Ukraine would also like to prepare a nationwide clinical study which would test MDMA-assisted therapy as the first treatment of trauma.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has been receiving increasing acclaim thanks to the notable positive results in the treatment of various mental illnesses, including PTSD, depression and addiction. As part of the Horizon Europe program, the EU has been financing an ambitious project aiming to improve mental health and support the research of innovative therapies. With a budget of 95,5 billion euro for 2021–2027, Horizon Europe supports Czech research and innovative projects aiming to foster fundamental changes in the health sector, including PAT, for the treatment of mental illness.

One of the main steps for integrating PAT into the healthcare systems is the creation of a regulatory frame which would ensure the safe and effective use of psychedelics. European states such as Czechia or the Netherlands are at the forefront of these initiatives, focusing on developing communication between research centres, regulators and politicians. Trends in Europe, the US and Australia indicate that the integration of PAT is not about “if” but rather “when,” and emphasize the need for taking practical steps towards its implementation.

Tomáš Kopečný, Governmental Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, Government of the Czech Republic, has supported the Czech Republic’s engagement in the sphere of mental health in Ukraine: “Ukraine’s reconstruction is not only about physical reconstruction but also about the mental health of Ukrainian civilians and war veterans, it is about increasing capacities on site so that the reach of support is as effective as possible,” says Kopečný.

Psilocybin therapy and the Psychomodulation Act as examples of modern regulation

One of the key aspects of integrating innovative approaches to mental health and psychedelic-assisted therapy into the healthcare system is the change of the regulation legislation. An example of beneficial regulation can be found in the recently passed “Psychomodulation Act” approved by the Czech Parliament, which reacts to the need for responsible approaches to psychoactive substances. This law introduces new categories and defines strict conditions for their sale and control without introducing prohibition.

The law allows substances such as HHC or kratom to be introduced to the market only in special shops with strict monitoring of the active substance’s content. Selling to minors is prohibited and distance selling requires the confirmation of the buyer’s age. The legal sale of these substances decreases the social health risks and prohibits access for minors.

This law also opens the way for a wider discussion about the legalization of psychoactive substances such as psilocybin or MDMA for use in curing mental illness, neurodegenerative illnesses or addiction. The already existing regulative legislation of these substances in the US, UK and Australia can serve as models.

Private investment and philanthropy in the sphere of mental health

In a regional comparison, the Czech Republic possesses a high-quality ecosystem in the sphere of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). Apart from top-notch scientists and progressive regulation, Czechia also has an established group of investors and philanthropists who have been strategically supporting research and clinical studies over the long term. Among them are Václav Štrupl, Václav Dejčmar and Ondřej Fryc. On the global level, the American-Israeli investment group Negev Capital have also been focusing on the sphere of PAT. Czech and global investors see PAT not only as philanthropy but also as a promising and developing sub-sector of the innovative pharmaceutical industry. Due to the absence of a regulatory frame, PAT requires the development of communication between the community of investors and the government, so that the therapy’s potential can be utilized to its maximum.

The conference Novel Mental Health Treatments and Sustainability of Healthcare Systems: Czechia as a Leader of the EU? was organized under the auspices of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, the Chairman of the Healthcare Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, the Chairman of the Healthcare Committee of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, and the First Lady of the Czech Republic.

Organizers:

PSYRES

The mission of PSYRES, the Psychedelic Research Endowment Fund, is to provide funding to scientific projects and facilities that focus on innovative treatment procedures in the field of mental illnesses. Our task is to support research and study of the potential of psychedelics and their therapeutic use in psychiatry, neurology and addictology. Our activities help with the preparation and implementation of clinical studies and analyses and with the education of the public. We collaborate with doctors, therapists and researchers who deal in depth with altered states of human consciousness.

INSTITUTE FOR RATIONAL ADDICTION POLICIES

Institute for Rational Addiction Policies is a multidisciplinary association of independent and prominent experts who address the issue of addiction from all angles - public and individual health, legislation and other legal implications, including security challenges, and economics including market modelling, tax, economic impacts on public budgets, the field of education and prevention, and finally also the fields of social and sociological and political science.

PSYCHEDELICS EUROPE

PsychedelicsEUROPE (PE) is an innovative public affairs mental health platform based in Brussels that brings together leading research centres, NGOs, investors, philanthropists and private companies. Based on the latest scientific evidence, PE advocates in the EU for a regulatory environment that promotes modern therapies, cutting-edge research, and innovative industry.