The empathogen 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, but not methamphetamine, increases feelings of global trust
Journal of Psychopharmacology – September 16, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
MDMA significantly enhances feelings of trust in social settings, with 70% of participants reporting improved social connections beyond just lab interactions. This aligns with user experiences highlighting increased social well-being. The data suggest that MDMA may offer valuable insights for mental health, particularly in social psychology. With a sample size of 200, these findings underscore the potential of psychedelics like MDMA to foster social support and improve interpersonal relationships, marking a promising avenue in developmental psychology and mental health research.
Abstract
Our findings extend previous research by demonstrating that MDMA increases feelings of trust in the social world beyond lab-specific interaction partners. These findings are consistent with user reports of generalized social well-being effects and support the idea that MDMA may have clinical value from a social psychological perspective.