According to Sir Patrick Vallance, further in-depth study is required on the usage of ecstasy and LSD to treat depression.
During Covid, the former government’s top scientist, who became well-known, asserted that there is “anecdotal” evidence that psychedelics may be beneficial.
However, Sir Patrick, who left his position last month, said it was “really shocking” how few people participate in clinical studies.
Speaking at the Hay Festival, he responded to an audience member who had asked if their 107-year-old grandmother – who had suffered from depression for seven years – would benefit from taking psychedelics.
‘I don’t think you should give your grandmother an ecstasy tablet,’ Sir Patrick replied. ‘But I think it’s a very important point: you have to test those things properly.’
Sir Patrick Vallance (pictured) – who became a household name during Covid and appeared alongside Boris Johnson and Sir Chris Whitty at tense Downing Street briefings – responded to an audience member who asked if their 107-year-old grandmother would benefit from taking psychedelics
Dame Kate Bingham (pictured), former chair of the UK vaccine task force, also spoke alongside Sir Patrick at the event. “From a regulatory perspective, I think it’s going to be challenging to work out: How do you regulate psychedelics so they can be safely given to the over-85s or young adolescents who are in really bad shape?” she said. . However, she added: ‘I think this is an area of ??real excitement’
The mind-altering properties of hallucinogenic and party drugs have been known for centuries. But ecstasy is currently on Schedule 1 of the Drug Abuse Act, along with drugs like LSD. This means it cannot be legally owned or prescribed and a Home Office license is required for research use
“One of the really shocking things is how few people are in clinical trials.”
He told audiences at the Welsh Literary Festival: ‘We don’t usually know what we’re doing – why not get more people into clinical trials and try to find out?’
The mind-altering properties of hallucinogenic and party drugs have been known for centuries.
Still, psychiatrists say there’s growing evidence that the same trip-inducing effects of the drugs could revolutionize mental health treatment.
Ecstasy and LSD are class A and cannot be legally possessed or prescribed. A Home Office license is required for research use.
Both are notorious for being used at parties and raves, often inducing feelings of alertness, fear and panic.
Still, some research suggests that ecstasy, also known as MDMA, may ease the flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia that plague people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Previous studies have also shown that the party drug – in combination with therapy – can help PTSD patients eliminate the condition after two months.
Sir Patrick told the festival: ‘There is a lot of excitement around psychedelics at the moment. Some of that is pretty anecdotal.
“Why don’t we just stop being anecdotal and really flesh it out?
‘Healthcare systems can be much more focused on asking questions, testing properly, and responding as quickly as possible.’
It comes as mental health charities and psychiatrists also wrote to the government earlier this month, calling for a change in legislation regarding psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms.
The campaigners, including the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm), urged the government to legalize the drug so it can be used by the NHS and in medical research.
Sir Patrick – who became a household name during Covid and appeared alongside Boris Johnson and Sir Chris Whitty at tense Downing Street briefings – spoke at the panel event alongside Dame Kate Bingham, former chair of the UK’s vaccine task force.
Dame Kate also told audience members: “There is now strong data showing that different interventions can have effects on depression and mental health.”
The latest NHS data shows that prescribing of antidepressants among teenagers rose by a quarter in England in 2020 compared to 2016. The biggest growth was seen in 13 and 19 year olds, where prescription rates rose by around a third
Young adults, often leaving home for the first time and starting their careers, also saw antidepressant prescriptions rise by about 40 percent
She added: “Treatment-resistant depression is a hugely important mental health challenge.
“From a regulatory point of view, I think it’s going to be challenging to work out: How do you regulate psychedelics so they can be safely given to the over-85s or young adolescents who are in really bad shape?
However, she added, “I think this is an area of ??real excitement.”
Currently, the main treatments for anxiety and depression in the UK include talk therapies, such as counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and medication.
But prescriptions for antidepressants — including Prozac, Zispin, Molipaxin, and Cipramil — have more than doubled in the past decade.
NHS data shows that between October and December 2022, around 22 million antidepressants were prescribed to an estimated 6.6 million patients.
According to the latest available data, a total of 1.03 million antidepressants were prescribed to people between the ages of 13 and 19 in 2020.
This is an increase of 26 percent compared to the number of prescriptions in 2016 (822,717).
Patrick Vallance calls for more trials to experiment with using LSD and ecstasy to treat depression