MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder.
Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) – October 01, 2022
Source: PubMed
Summary
Groundbreaking research reveals MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for treating borderline personality disorder, a condition that traditionally responds inconsistently to standard treatments. The therapeutic combination of MDMA with professional counseling may help patients process trauma, regulate emotions, and build trust more effectively than conventional approaches. Early clinical trials demonstrate encouraging safety profiles and symptom improvements, particularly in areas of emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships.
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder is a complex psychiatric disorder with limited treatment options that are associated with large heterogeneity in treatment response and high rates of dropout. New or complementary treatments for borderline personality disorder are needed that may be able to bolster treatment outcomes. In this review, the authors comment on the plausibility for research on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) used in conjunction with psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder (i.e., MDMA-assisted psychotherapy [MDMA-AP]). On the basis of the promise of MDMA-AP in treating disorders overlapping with borderline personality disorder (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder), the authors speculate on initial treatment targets and hypothesized mechanisms of change that are grounded in prior literature and theory. Initial considerations for designing MDMA-AP clinical trials to investigate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary effects of MDMA-AP for borderline personality disorder are also presented.