Psychiatry is at an inflection point — and the stakes are high. Mental illness costs the U.S. economy more than $280 billion annually, drives veteran suicide rates, and places mounting strain on everything from emergency rooms to the workforce. Yet many of today’s medicines have not advanced in decades despite the rising prevalence and unmet need.

For the one in five Americans living with a mental health disorder and veterans who face disproportionally high suicide rates and do not respond to conventional treatments, the gap between what medicine promises and what it delivers has never been more consequential.

But change is underway. A new wave of rigorous clinical science is unlocking the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicines and opening new routes for brain health that could redefine what treatment success looks like.

Psychedelic medicines are advancing through late-stage clinical trials, with several investigational candidates earning FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for disorders including anxiety and depression.

Join The Hill, in partnership with Definium Therapeutics, for a timely mental health policy forum convening lawmakers, clinical researchers, and advocates to explore what science tells us, what the regulatory landscape requires, and what actions Congress can take to ensure that patients are not left behind.

The event is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET.

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