Eligibility check

What we check against

• GermanyPublished reimbursement practice centres on a severe, treatment-resistant depressive episode; “adequate” antidepressant treatments mean a sufficient dose taken for several weeks, and the route differs for statutory (GKV) and private (PKV) insurance.
• FrancePublished French reimbursement criteria apply to adults under 65, after at least 2 antidepressants from 2 different classes have failed to bring sufficient improvement; treatment is organised through a hospital — the standard access route in France.
• SpainPublished Spanish criteria cover adults aged 18–74, after at least 3 treatment strategies have failed, including at least one augmentation strategy (adding a second medicine to an antidepressant).
• NetherlandsDutch criteria follow the depression treatment algorithm — usually 3 or more adequate treatment steps including an augmentation step, then referral to a specialised esketamine centre (ENC-NL network).
• PolandDrug programme B.147 requires depression documented as treatment-resistant by a clinician, antidepressants failed at adequate dose and duration, and NFZ (National Health Fund) coverage.
• SwitzerlandThe Swiss limitation requires both at least 2 antidepressants and at least 1 augmentation attempt without sufficient improvement, an illness rated as severe (e.g. a CGI-S score of 5 or higher), treatment at a BAG-designated centre, and insurer pre-approval of cost coverage.
• United KingdomNICE has not recommended esketamine (Spravato®) for routine NHS use, so NHS reimbursement is generally not available; access runs mainly through private, self-pay clinics regulated by the CQC, typically £300–£800 per session.

Other countries are assessed against the European authorisation for esketamine, which covers treatment-resistant depression — typically 2 or more adequate antidepressant treatments without sufficient improvement. Both treatment routes also ask the same basic medical-safety questions — psychotic/bipolar I history, cardiovascular conditions, liver function, pregnancy, prior ketamine use disorder and age — because the published contraindications for ketamine and esketamine are the same.

This is an informational self-assessment, not medical advice and not a clinical screening. It only mirrors criteria that regulators, payers, and clinics publish; the actual eligibility decision is always made by a treating clinician, and every provider runs its own pre-screening before treatment.

“This screener is a useful tool for those seeking alternative mental health treatments (i.e., esketamine, ketamine, and clinical trials) across Europe and the UK. It navigates complex regulations and reimbursement criteria to provide a simple summary of country-specific eligibility and directs users to potential providers if found eligible. It’s important to keep in mind that this self-assessment is not a diagnostic tool, but a starting point for understanding your options. Although the published criteria describe a typical candidate, certain clinics (especially private ones) may have different eligibility standards.” — Arielle Tandowski, MPH, reviewer

Screening logic and self-checks medically reviewed by Arielle Tandowski, MPH — 3 August 2026.

Before you speak to a clinician

A validated self-screener is not a diagnosis, but it helps you describe your symptoms in the language clinicians use. Each maps to a condition psychedelic medicine is used or studied for: depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), PTSD (PCL-5-based) and alcohol use (AUDIT) — the last because ketamine programmes for alcohol relapse and psilocybin research in alcohol-use disorder are part of the field.

“The PHQ-2 and GAD-2 are well-validated, ultra-abbreviated screeners (each using the first two items of the full PHQ-9 and GAD-7 screening tools). They are designed to quickly flag potential depression and anxiety symptoms. A positive result is not a diagnosis, but rather a starting point for further discussion and exploration with a clinician. Together, they address two of the most common mental health conditions, depression and anxiety.” — Arielle Tandowski, MPH, reviewer

The instruments themselves (PHQ, GAD-7, PCL-5, AUDIT) are published, validated clinical tools; the versions linked here are hosted by States of Mind, a Pink Elephant project · each takes 1–3 minutes.