MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for people diagnosed with treatment-resistant PTSD: what it is and what it isn’t
Annals of General Psychiatry May 17, 2020 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1186/s12991-020-00283-6 via DOAJ
Summary
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may help individuals with treatment-resistant PTSD by facilitating trauma processing, although current small-scale studies indicate it has not been researched as a definitive treatment for PTSD. There is significant misunderstanding about the nature of MDMA's role, which can lead to harmful media portrayals and hinder further research. More rigorous studies are necessary to clarify its potential benefits and risks.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Population | people diagnosed with treatment-resistant PTSD |
| Key finding | MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may help people who have experienced psychological trauma but has not yet been established as a definitive treatment for PTSD. |
Abstract
Abstract Background PTSD is a chronic condition with high rates of comorbidity, but current treatment options are limited and not always effective. One novel approach is MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for people diagnosed with treatment-resistant PTSD, where MDMA is used as a catalyst to facilitate trauma processing during psychotherapy. The aim was to review all current research into MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Methods Articles were identified through PubMed and Science Direct for items published up to 31st March 2019 using terms “treatments for PTSD”, “drug treatments for PTSD”, “MDMA”, “MDMA pathway”, “MDMA-assisted psychotherapy” and “MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD”. Articles were identified through Google Scholar and subject-specific websites. Articles and relevant references cited in those articles were reviewed. Results Small-scale studies have shown reduced psychological trauma, however there has been widespread misunderstanding of the aims and implications of this work, most commonly the notion that MDMA is a ‘treatment for PTSD’, which to date has not been researched. This has harmful consequences, namely dangerous media reporting and impeding research progression in an already controversial field. Conclusions MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may help people who have experienced psychological trauma and who have not been able to resolve their problems through existing treatments, however more research is needed. If this is to get appropriate research attention, we must report this accurately and objectively.