European psychedelic therapy campaign aims to transform mental health care in 2025

The first European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) dedicated to advocating for psychedelic-assisted therapies will launch next year.

A new campaign is calling on the European Commission to take meaningful action in integrating psychedelic-assisted therapies into public healthcare systems.

The PsychedeliCare Initiative aims to unite citizens, researchers, therapists and mental health advocates from 24 organisations in 17 EU countries.

The campaign, which launches in January 2025, seeks to gather one million signatures from at least seven EU member states to make psychedelic therapies available to patients across the EU.

It is the first time a movement of this scale has called on the European Commission to take action on psychedelic treatments.

Théo Giubilei, founder of the PsychedeliCare Initiative, said: “With the launch in January begins a year-long campaign that can bring hope to millions of European citizens suffering from mental health problems.”

The PsychedeliCare Initiative comes at a critical time. Mental health is an escalating crisis in Europe.

One in six people across the EU suffer from a mental health condition and half of all adults reported feeling depressed or anxious in the last year alone, according to recent data.

Traditional psychiatric treatments are falling short. Up to 50% of patients fail to respond to currently available medications, leaving a significant portion of the population without effective treatment options.

The economic impact is equally troubling — mental health issues cost the EU approximately €600 billion annually or 4.2% of its GDP.

In contrast, psychedelic-assisted therapies, such as those involving psilocybin, MDMA and LSD, are showing significant promise in treating mental health disorders that are resistant to conventional treatments.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that these therapies could provide rapid and lasting relief from conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), substance use disorders and end-of-life anxiety. These treatments offer potential to deliver faster and more enduring outcomes than many existing therapies.

Mario Zulić, founder of Nepopularna Psihologija and national co-ordinator for Croatia, said: “Our goal is to alleviate suffering and improve quality of life — causes worth fighting for.”

The PsychedeliCare Initiative is leveraging the ECI framework, a tool that allows EU citizens to directly influence legislation.

By securing one million signatures over the course of 2025, the initiative aims to formally request that the European Commission take action to “foster equitable, timely, affordable, safe, and legal access to innovative psychedelic-assisted therapies”.

Once the signature threshold is met, the European Commission will have six months to respond, outlining what — if any — steps it will take to act on the initiative’s proposals.

These proposals include supporting an expert consensus on care standards for psychedelic-assisted therapies and the development of a legal framework to govern their use across EU member states. This would ensure that therapies are not only scientifically validated but also implemented safely and ethically within public healthcare systems.

Annarita Eva, member of Eumans and national co-ordinator for Italy, said: "Psychedelic therapies could open new frontiers in mental health care and trigger a real renaissance of wellbeing. Our objective is to stimulate a constructive and evidence-based discussion to fully explore their therapeutic potential.”

Though countries like the United States, Canada and Australia have begun exploring the use of psychedelic therapies through clinical trials and regulatory reforms, Europe has been slower to adopt these treatments. The PsychedeliCare Initiative sees this as an urgent issue, one that demands coordinated, EU-wide action.

The organisers are calling on the European Commission to back expert consensus on psychedelic care standards, facilitate the rollout of psychedelic therapies, and support capacity-building efforts for multidisciplinary training. This would involve training healthcare providers across the EU in the ethical and clinical use of psychedelics, ensuring safe and effective integration into existing treatment pathways.

The initiative also pushes for greater EU-funded research into the therapeutic applications of psychedelics. While preliminary results are promising, more large-scale studies are needed to fully understand the potential benefits and risks associated with these treatments.

The PsychedeliCare Initiative argues that fostering research networks and boosting funding for psychedelic studies is essential to driving this area of science forward.

With backing from organisations focused on mental health and scientific research, the initiative is well-positioned to raise awareness and build momentum.

If successful, this movement could mark a pivotal moment in European mental health policy, bringing the potential of psychedelic therapies to the forefront of public healthcare.

By the end of 2025, Europe could be one step closer to embracing these treatments, transforming the lives of millions of people who currently have limited options for managing their mental health.