Oregon Takes Action To Tackle Veteran Suicide Crisis
Oregon’s veteran suicide rate far outpaces national averages, according to a state-level analysis from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Combat veterans and their doctors believe psilocybin can help. As the first state in the country to provide access to psilocybin-assisted therapy, Oregon is well positioned to get veterans the care they need.
A staggering suicide crisis:
The national veteran suicide rate remains near two decade highs—31.7 per 100,000 veterans. It’s significantly worse in Oregon—43.5 suicides per 100,000 veterans. Those stark numbers come from the Veteran Affairs’ 2022 Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
Oregon’s veteran suicide rate is almost twice the state’s non-veteran suicide rate.
Almost 60% of veteran suicides involved a diagnosed mental health or substance use disorder.
Psilocybin provides Oregon veterans with reason for hope.
Multiple psychedelic medicine trials—including trials focused on psilocybin—are underway at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The first psychedelic medicine trial for treating veterans began last summer and three other clinical trials are expected to begin this year, including a trial in Portland, The New York Times reported. “It’s our priority to make sure veterans are safe and getting the best care,” Dr. Shannon T. Remick, a psychiatrist at the Department of Veterans Affairs, told the NYT.
Oregon is ahead of the curve. Starting next year, licensed facilitators in Oregon will have the ability to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy. By an eleven point margin, voters passed a 2020 ballot measure that creates a regulatory model, trains and licenses facilitators to administer psilocybin therapy, and accredits facilities throughout the state where these treatments take place. The measure provided city and county governments with the option to put an “opt-out” provision on the ballot this November. Some of Oregon’s more rural and conservative areas—where a disproportionate number of veterans live—have asked their residents to vote for a second time on the measure.
What access to psilocybin treatment close to home would mean for Oregon’s veterans: “With psilocybin therapy, we can allow veterans with PTSD who have not recovered using other treatments to recover and truly heal,” said combat veteran Armand LeComte, who witnessed fourteen of his fellow marines die by suicide after serving in Afghanstan. “Many veterans in rural Oregon already suffer from a lack of access to mental health treatment and banning psilocybin therapy in their local communities will just make it that much harder for them. Some veterans cannot afford to drive hours to access mental health services.”
Dive Deeper:
The National Context: Bipartisan Push For Psychedelic Medicine Amidst Veteran Suicide Crisis
Oregon Psilocybin Explainer: Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Comes To Oregon. What You Need To Know.
