Global Psychedelic Health Announces Landmark Clinical Study on DMT-Assisted Psychotherapy for Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma

Lisbon, Portugal — December 2025

Global Psychedelic Health announces the development of one of Europe’s most ambitious psychedelic research initiatives: a controlled clinical study evaluating whether DMT-assisted psychotherapy can produce significant and sustained improvements in depression, anxiety, and trauma, compared to psychotherapy with placebo.

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The investigation, developed in collaboration with academic partners and conducted by Principal Investigator Ricardo Moutinho Teixeira, an academic psychology researcher at ISPA – Instituto Universitário (Lisbon), seeks to fill critical gaps in contemporary mental-health science.

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A Scientific Response to a Global Mental-Health Crisis

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Despite continuous advances in psychology and psychiatry, millions of people worldwide continue to struggle with treatment-resistant disorders. Depression, chronic anxiety, and trauma remain among the leading causes of disability, and existing treatments often fail to produce long-term remission.

Recent international studies suggest that psychedelic-assisted therapies may catalyze rapid and meaningful psychological change. However, DMT-assisted psychotherapy remains one of the least formally studied modalities, with almost no long-term controlled trials evaluating its clinical efficacy.

“Our global mental-health system needs new solutions,” says Principal Investigator Ricardo Moutinho Teixeira. “Traditional therapy helps many people, but not everyone. Our goal is to test, with scientific rigor, whether DMT-assisted psychotherapy can initiate deeper emotional transformation, accelerate recovery, and sustain improvement over time.”

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Study Overview: A 21-Month Clinical Protocol

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The research will recruit 60 participants from the Greater Lisbon region, divided into three diagnostic groups:

• 20 with major depressive symptoms

• 20 with chronic anxiety

• 20 with trauma history

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Each diagnostic group is further divided into:

• Control Group: 20 psychotherapy sessions + 3 supervised placebo sessions

• Experimental Group: 20 psychotherapy sessions + 3 supervised DMT-assisted sessions

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Research Timeline

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• March–June 2026 — Participant selection and baseline assessments

• September 2026 — First psychological evaluation

• September 2026–March 2027 — Therapeutic sessions and DMT/placebo interventions

• April 2027 — Post-treatment evaluations

• July & September 2027 — Long-term follow-ups (4 and 6 months)

• Oct–Nov 2027 — Data analysis and peer-review preparation

• January-March 2028 — Public release of findings & publication of Research Results Book

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This multi-phase design will measure not only immediate improvement but also the durability of therapeutic gains, an essential question in psychedelic science.

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Why Ayahuasca and DMT? Bridging Ancestral Wisdom and Modern Science

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Ayahuasca traditions, particularly those shaped by Mestre Irineu and the Santo Daime lineage, have long reported profound psychological effects, including emotional clarity, healing of trauma, and reduction of anxiety.

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While Western science has only recently begun to validate these claims, early studies suggest that DMT:

• temporarily reduces rigid cognitive patterns,

• increases neuroplasticity,

• enables deeper emotional processing,

• and may amplify the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

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This study seeks to rigorously evaluate these effects in a controlled, clinical environment.

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A Global Call for Scientific Collaboration and Support

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To complete this 24-30 month research program, Global Psychedelic Health is launching an international campaign to raise €440,000, covering psychotherapy, clinical supervision, laboratory analysis, research staff, long-term assessments, regulatory procedures, and public dissemination.

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Partnerships are being developed with academic institutions, mental-health organizations, philanthropic foundations, and supporters of psychedelic science.

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“We are building a project that combines scientific integrity, cultural respect, and human-centered care,” says Teixeira. “Our intention is not to promote substances, but to rigorously test whether a therapeutic model rooted in both neuroscience and experience can help reduce real suffering.”

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A Documentary Film Now Available:

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Ayahuasca & Mental Health — What Science Knows and What We Aim to Discover

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Global Psychedelic Health has released a 15-minute documentary introducing the historical, cultural, and scientific background of the study, including:

• the roots of Ayahuasca in Amazonian practice

• the influence of Mestre Irineu and Santo Daime

• current scientific findings on DMT and mental health

• the conceptual basis for the upcoming clinical trial

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The film is available on the official YouTube channel:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@GlobalPsychedelicHealth

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About Global Psychedelic Health

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Global Psychedelic Health is an independent research initiative dedicated to advancing evidence-based psychedelic science and developing new frameworks for effective mental-health care.
The project integrates clinical psychology, neuroscience, transpersonal studies, and ethical therapeutic practice.

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Its mission is to deliver responsible, transparent, scientifically grounded research that can meaningfully improve the lives of people suffering from depression, anxiety, and trauma.

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Research Support: LINK ​

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Media Contact

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Ricardo Moutinho Teixeira
Principal Investigator — Global Psychedelic Health
Email: ricardomoutinho.com@gmail.com
Website: https://www.globalpsychedelichealth.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GlobalPsychedelicHealth