Three single-dose biological treatments show lasting antidepressant effects. Botulinum toxin injections to diminish frown lines reduced depression for 16 weeks. A single dose of ketamine decreased depression for up to a week. A single dose of psilocybin had beneficial effects for over a year in healthy people and up to 3 months in patients with anxiety disorders and advanced cancer. The article discusses the rationale, mechanisms, and future research needed to establish and optimize such single treatments with persistent effects.
Providing group MDMA-assisted therapy (MAT) with supplemental individual sessions for PTSD in Ukraine is likely cost-effective and could save lives. Modeling 1000 patients, treatment costs $1.1 million, averts 19.2 deaths, and gains 717 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) over 3 years. From a healthcare payer perspective, MAT costs $1537 per QALY gained, considered cost-effective. From a societal perspective, it generates net savings of $2.6 million. Scaling to half of eligible patients over 10 years could save 48,000 lives and gain 1.5 million QALYs, with net societal savings of $5.6 billion. The findings support including MAT in Ukraine's mental health strategy.