Bold plan for mental treatments

AUSTRALIA’S national science agency will help develop psychedelics, under a bold plan to find “life-changing” treatments for mental illnesses.

The CSIRO announced on Wednesday it will partner with local medtech companies to improve existing psychedelics and develop new ones.

One-in-five Australians suffer a mental illness and research has shown psychedelics could offer potential treatment for illnesses such as depression, addiction, anxiety and PTSD.

Studies are already underway in Australia into promising psychedelics such as MDMA and psilocybin, which is found in some mushrooms.

CSIRO scientist Adjunct Professor Peter Duggan said the partnership – which will see the agency investigate up to 15 different psychedelic compounds – would “push Australia into a leadership position” on this issue.

“CSIRO is well-placed to contribute to this emerging area of research, which could lead to life-changing advancements in mental health,” he said.

One of the companies they will be working with includes Melbourne-based Natural MedTech, which hopes to find treatment for “unmet neurological disorders”.