MDMA as medicine after the Israeli-Palestinian war
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20 November 2024Переглянуто: 93
A group of 400 Israeli survivors of the October 7th Hamas attack, including civilians, freed hostages and soldiers, may be offered MDMA psychotherapy in a potentially groundbreaking study set to begin later this year.
The study is being organized by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in Israel (MAPS Israel), an independent non-profit organization that develops psychedelic research programs, and a US-based branch of MAPS that is working to bring MDMA therapy to the brink of approval in the US. The MAPS Israel study will pave new paths to group MDMA therapy.
Almost eight months after the horrific event at the NOVA Festival, MAPS-Israel raised $2 million (out of a planned $2.3 million) for the «HealingOct7» program, a new multicenter study offering group therapy for treatment.
Under constant fire: Israeli life in protracted conflict
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for decades. On October 7, 2023, there was another outbreak of violence when Hamas militants attacked Israeli civilians, including an attack on the Nova festival. Hamas attacked parts of Israel, killing 1,400 people and abducting more than 200, including 32 children. In response, Israel began bombing Gaza and launched a ground invasion. This tragic incident resulted in numerous casualties, hostage-taking, and intensified hostilities in the region.
Israel actively defends itself with systems such as the Iron Dome missile defense system, which effectively intercepts rockets launched from Gaza. Despite these security measures, Israeli civilians are constantly under the threat of rocket attacks and terrorist attacks. The situation in Gaza also remains critical, with the Palestinian population facing dire humanitarian conditions and a military blockade.
Due to the constant tension and violence, many Israelis suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The «HealingOct7» study also came out during Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians.
There is significant inequality in healthcare between Israeli Jews and Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, including in the field of mental health. This problem is particularly acute in the Gaza Strip, where the healthcare system has been brought to near collapse. Leaders of Palestinian healthcare speak of the inability to cope with psychological consequences and disorders. In 2019, Sama Jabr, the head of the Palestinian Ministry of Health's mental health department, wrote an article about the need for collective therapy for the collective trauma experienced by Palestinians.
In the Gaza Strip, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children and families live in difficult conditions, facing constant threat and psychological pressure caused by the ongoing conflict. According to international organizations, about 70% of children in Gaza suffer from PTSD symptoms. Many of them become refugees, deprived of proper medical care and support.
The global community is responding to this situation, in particular, MAPS is helping to train Palestinian therapists and provide psychedelic research for the treatment of individual and group trauma, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and intergenerational healing.
Natalie Lyla Ginsberg, Global Impact Officer at MAPS, has been working together with MAPS-Israel to expand access to MDMA-assisted therapy for Palestinians since the establishment of the organization. Palestinian facilitators who have undergone training will lead the future MAPS-Israel study, which it is hoped will include Palestinians who are citizens of Israel.
About HealingOct7: an innovative study for the rehabilitation of victims
"Our goal is to create a universal model of therapy that will help people," says MAPS-Israel co-founder and CEO, Karen Tsarfaty.
She also emphasizes that the fear of treating PTSD with psychedelics still persists in many Western countries, and this is due to a lack of awareness. MAPS-Israel aims to change this situation by conducting research in public hospitals in Israel in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. The goal is to inform medical professionals and educate them on the "safe, effective, ethical and respectful" use of these substances to help those who suffer.
This problem is particularly acute, and the statistics speak for themselves. A study conducted jointly by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Columbia University, the Shalvat Center for Mental Health in Hod HaSharon and the organization «Effective Altruism» found that about 520,000 people, or 5% of Israel's population, may develop post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the current crisis.
According to local media reports, 18% of soldiers suffer from mental health problems and PTSD after the attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Unlike most past MDMA studies, at «HealingOct7» will have Israeli patient groups - recruited from soldiers who were ambushed on October 7, festival goers from a badly damaged rave, and locals who were attacked - taking the drug in small groups of about six people. Organizers believed that group therapy could be helpful because the trauma is collective. It also reduces costs and allows for quicker treatment on a larger scale, an important factor given that untreated PTSD can worsen over time.
Patients will receive two sessions of the drug in small groups, which will be the largest MDMA therapy study to date - an important milestone on the path to the adoption of psychedelic medicine into mainstream practice.
Israel as a center for psychedelic medicine
Given these challenges, Israel has taken a leading position in research into psychedelic therapy, particularly MDMA, for the treatment of PTSD. The country's Ministry of Health has already authorized a number of studies in this area in recent years. Several companies and organizations are actively working to promote this research and provide access to psychedelic therapy. Several clinical centers in Israel already offer ketamine therapy, providing legal options for those in need of psychedelic treatment. As research develops and regulation improves, it is expected that other substances such as MDMA and psilocybin will become available for therapeutic use in the future.