U.S. Veterans and Psychedelics: Prevalence of Use and Policy Preferences.
Michelle Priest, Terry L Schell, Ben Senator, Beau Kilmer
Rand health quarterly September 2026 DOI: 10.7249/rhq-13-04-08 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | U.S. veterans and nonveterans |
| Keywords | Mental health treatment Posttraumatic stress disorder Survey research methodology Veterans health care |
| Key findings | The authors present 2025 RAND Psychedelics Survey data on veterans' use of specific psychedelic substances, their policy preferences, their willingness to try these substances, and their attitudes toward VA policies on certain psychedelics, compared with nonveterans. The abstract does not state specific results or comparisons. |
Abstract
Veteran issues in the United States often figure prominently in policy debates and media coverage surrounding psychedelic substances, such as psilocybin mushrooms and ibogaine. This is partially driven by the need to improve access and efficacy of treatments for mental health conditions, especially conditions (such as posttraumatic stress disorder) that are more common among veterans than nonveterans. In this study, the authors present new data from the 2025 RAND Psychedelics Survey. The study focuses on the use of specific psychedelic substances and policy preferences among U.S. veterans and compares them with nonveterans. The study also includes data on veterans' willingness to try these substances and their attitudes about U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policies on certain psychedelics.