All 30 veterans in the original study received VETS Foundational Healing Grants; 25 completed the one-year assessment.
SOUTHLAKE, Texas, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) today highlighted a Translational Psychiatry study showing that improvements in disability, PTSD, depression and anxiety remained substantial one year after magnesium-ibogaine treatment among veterans assessed at follow-up. The research was conducted by Stanford Medicine researchers, including the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab.
The new paper follows the same 30 male U.S. Special Operations veterans with traumatic brain injuries whose early outcomes appeared in Nature Medicine in 2024. All 30 were VETS Foundational Healing Grant recipients. The original study reported improvements in mental health, functioning and cognition one month after treatment, along with a reduction in suicidal ideation at that time.
Twenty-five veterans completed the 12-month assessment. As a group, their disability, PTSD, depression and anxiety scores remained substantially lower than before treatment. Among those who entered remission immediately after treatment, researchers estimated the probability of remaining in remission at one year at 84% for PTSD, 66% for depression, and 61% for anxiety. These estimates apply to initial remitters, rather than to all participants.
"When we started VETS, very few people were willing to look at ibogaine," said Amber Capone, Co-Founder and CEO of VETS. "Stanford Medicine has now followed these VETS grant recipients for a full year, and most of them kept their gains after a single treatment. The question is no longer whether this deserves serious attention. It's how quickly we can get the controlled trials done and build safe, accessible care for veterans here at home. VETS has helped more than 1,400 veterans and spouses so far, and we'll keep fighting for all who are still waiting."
"After ibogaine, the inner critic that kept circling around pain, shame and trauma finally stopped, and it has stayed stopped," said Joe Hudak, a U.S. Army Green Beret veteran and VETS Foundational Healing Grant recipient who completed the 12-month follow-up. "The quiet in my head helped integration coaching, talk therapy and meditation take hold, while my wife helped me work through the emotions that followed. I want other veterans to know they are not alone, and that they are worthy, deserving and loved."
Sean Naylor, a U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force veteran and VETS grant recipient, said: "Nearly five years after my ibogaine treatment, I can say that the experience didn't simply change how I felt for a few weeks. It fundamentally changed the trajectory of my life. I went from a place of profound suffering to one of peace, gratitude, faith, and renewed purpose. Today, I have the privilege of helping other veterans pursue their own healing journeys through VETS. My experience is personal, but the importance of Stanford Medicine's research is that it helps move these conversations beyond individual stories and toward the scientific evidence necessary to make promising treatments available safely and responsibly."
VETS helped make participation possible through grants covering treatment, travel, and lodging, and through preparation, integration and community support. VETS informed interested veterans about the study and referred them to the Stanford Medicine team. The paper acknowledges support from and collaboration with VETS; VETS did not directly fund Stanford's research. Stanford Medicine researchers conducted the assessments and analyses.
The findings are encouraging, but they cannot establish that the initial treatment alone caused the lasting improvements. The study was small and had no comparison group; five participants did not complete the one-year assessment. During follow-up, 23 of the 25 veterans assessed at 12 months reported using a subsequent psychedelic treatment, and some received counseling or medication. The follow-up did not test whether the treatment prevents suicide. Ibogaine is not an FDA-approved treatment and carries serious medical risks, including potentially dangerous heart rhythm problems. Larger controlled trials with careful safety oversight are needed.
VETS continues to pair direct support for veterans with advocacy for research and responsible access. Its work with veterans and partners has helped advance the Texas Ibogaine Initiative and California's investment in psychedelic-assisted therapy research focused on veterans. Across the wider movement VETS has helped build, public research commitments exceeded $175 million by mid-2026. At the federal level, the FDA is seeking input on the design and safety of ibogaine clinical trials.
The Translational Psychiatry paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Nolan Williams, who conceived the original study and led the Stanford Medicine research effort until his death in 2025. VETS is grateful for his commitment to studying new possibilities for veterans living with the effects of traumatic brain injury.
About Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS)
Founded in 2019, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the veteran suicide epidemic through three core pillars: resources, research, and advocacy. VETS provides access to psychedelic-assisted therapies for veterans and their spouses, supports scientific research with leading institutions, and works with policymakers to advance evidence-based treatment options for traumatic brain injury, PTSD, addiction, and other service-related conditions. Since its founding, VETS has supported more than 1,400 veterans and spouses with treatment access and comprehensive integration support.
Media Contact
Brad Burge, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), 1 6508636887, [email protected], https://vetsolutions.org
SOURCE Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS)
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