Keywords

MDMA, PTSD, psychotherapy

Abstract

A growing number of people suffer chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Amoroso & Workman, 2016; Buoso, Doblin, Farré, Alcázar, & Gómez-Jarabo, 2008; Mithoefer, Wagner, Mithoefer, Jerome, & Doblin, 2011; Oehen, Traber, Widmer, & Schnyder, 2013). The most popular treatments, including exposure therapy, may not be effective for some people (Amoroso & Workman, 2016; Mithoefer et al., 2011). Treatment dropout and suicidality are high among people for whom therapy is minimally effective (Amoroso, 2015; Amoroso & Workman, 2016; Mithoefer et al., 2011; Oehen et al., 2013). Researchers have begun to investigate 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy as a possible treatment for PTSD (Amoroso, 2015; Amoroso & Workman, 2016; Buoso et al., 2008; Carhart-Harris et al., 2014; Mithoefer et al., 2011; Mithoefer et al., 2013; Oehen et al., 2013; Wagner et al., 2017). This review examines some of the published literature about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, including two clinical trials (Mithoefer et al., 2011; Oehen et al., 2013) and a meta-analytic comparison of exposure therapy and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (Amoroso & Workman, 2016). Evidence suggests that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy produces effective and possibly long-lasting symptom reductions by improving patients’ mood, promoting a strong therapeutic alliance, and catalyzing fear memory extinction (Amoroso, 2015; Mithoefer et al., 2013; Oehen et al., 2013; Wagner et al., 2017). Although more research is necessary to establish its efficacy and safety among a variety of populations, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy appears to be a viable treatment for some people with PTSD (Amoroso, 2015; Amoroso & Workman, 2016; Buoso et al., 2008; Carhart-Harris et al., 2014; Mithoefer et al., 2011; Mithoefer et al., 2013; Oehen et al., 2013; Wagner et al., 2017).