Prof Susan Rossell Photo: supplied
In a world first, authorised Australian psychiatrists can now prescribe MDMA and psilocybin.
As of 1 July, psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms and MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, can be prescribed for treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder respectively.
Professor Susan Rossell is a cognitive neuropsychologist at Swinburne University's Centre for Mental Health.
She's working on Australia's only active clinical trial testing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression.
Despite the promise shown by these drugs in clinical trial settings she's concerned the approval process has been rushed and could cause a backlash.
Photo: 123RF
