– Mental health is currently a major issue. More than one in six people in the European Union have a mental health disorder. 3 out of 4 people with depression do not receive adequate treatment. Society as a whole bears a heavy burden as globally, mental disorders account for 1 in 6 years lived with disability.

– Military personnel suffer from mental health disorders in high numbers. In the UK alone, research led over 20 years by King’s College London has recently revealed that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Common Mental Disorders (CMD) have increased among UK veterans in particular.

– Due to ongoing war in Ukraine, the military and civilian population is at high risk of stress, anxiety and PTSD. More than 80% of surveyed Ukrainians experience moderate to high stress and more than 30% experience severe PTSD.

– At the same time, conventional treatments often fail. One third of patients treated for depression do not respond well to the first anti-depressant prescribed. Up to one in two will become treatment-resistant.

– Resistance to treatments has led scientists to investigate other forms of medicines. Research on psychedelics started in the 1950s but stopped with the “war on drugs” in the 1970s. Over the past decade, research over psychedelics’ potential has been renewed. Dozens of studies and trials are currently taking place in prestigious facilities. Moreover, there are around 100 psychedelic-based treatments in various phases of clinical trial. While it works slightly differently, ketamine is often included under the term “psychedelic-based”.

– Ketamine is on the WHO list of essential medicines. It was first licensed as an anaesthetic in the UK in 1970. Its derived form esketamine has been used for severe depression since 2019. Recent research shows the potential of ketamine to treat resistant depression. While not fully known, its mode of action seems to be linked to the creation of new connections (neuroplasticity) in the brain. A recent review published by Cambridge University Press underlines that ketamine’s therapeutic effects have been demonstrated.

– Even though research provides support for the antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects of ketamine, those effects are often short-lived. However, if ketamine is used with psychotherapy, the positive effects are durable. A 2025 trial found significant decrease in depression, anxiety and suicidality fully maintained after 8 weeks.

– Our partner medical centre Expio in Kyiv has been delivering ketamine-assisted therapy since 2019. The money we have raised through our events has allowed us to fund the treatment of a first cohort of military personnel through group ketamine therapy. Find more information on Expio and the treatments they provide here.

– Find more information about Eulas Clinic, our partner in Lanarkshire, here.