MDMA-assisted dialectical behavioral therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study of mental health clinicians
Ann M. Inouye, Aaron Wolfgang, Lianne T. Philhower
Journal of Psychedelic Studies February 5, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1556/2054.2023.00281 via OpenAlex
Summary
In a qualitative study, clinicians shared insights on using MDMA-assisted therapy for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). While MDMA-assisted therapy has shown promise in treating PTSD, the applicability to BPD remains exploratory. Clinicians reported a chronological narrative of treatment involving three phases, enhancing understanding of therapeutic mechanisms and pharmacological factors that could improve clinical outcomes. The study aims to better inform treatment contexts for BPD patients.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | clinicians treating individuals with borderline personality disorder |
| Key finding | Clinicians provided unique perspectives on the potential benefits of MDMA-assisted therapy for treating borderline personality disorder. |
Abstract
Abstract In 2021, the final series of phase 3 clinical trials looking at MDMA-AT for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found that 71.2% of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) full-dose participants no longer met criteria for PTSD. MDMA-assisted therapy is not US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in treating borderline personality disorder (BPD), and while PTSD is quite different from BPD, it is possible that some of the beneficial effects of MDMA-assisted therapy may be applicable in treating BPD. Interviewing two clinicians utilizing dialectical behavioral therapy treatment and two MDMA-assisted therapy clinicians was one way to examine the phenomenology of MDMA-assisted therapy with BPD individuals in a thoughtful manner. An exploratory, qualitative, interview-based study assessed clinicians' perspectives of MDMA-assisted therapy and BPD and increased our understanding of underlying therapeutic mechanisms and processes and the role of pharmacological factors in these treatment modalities, optimizing treatment context, and leading to improved clinical responses and patient recovery. The codes generated unique perspectives of the participants revealing a chronological narrative which included three phases of treatment.