MDMA to Treat PTSD in Adults
Dustin Latimer, Michael D. Stocker, Kia Sayers, Jackson Green, Adam M. Kaye, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Elyse M. Cornett, Alan D. Kaye, Giustino Varrassi, Omar Viswanath, Ivan Urits
Psychopharmacology Bulletin August 12, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.64719/pb.4414
Summary
MDMA has shown promise as a novel therapeutic agent for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly in the veteran population, where PTSD is a common diagnosis. Current treatments include trauma-focused psychotherapies and medications like SSRIs and SNRIs. Randomized controlled trials support the use of MDMA as an effective pharmacologic therapy when combined with psychotherapy, indicating its potential to improve treatment outcomes for those suffering from PTSD.
Study at a glance
| Design | randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Population | veteran population with PTSD |
| Key finding | MDMA has been backed by randomized controlled trials as an effective pharmacologic therapy for PTSD when used alongside psychotherapy. |
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become one of the most common psychiatric diagnosis in the United States specifically within the veteran population. The current treatment options for this debilitating diagnosis include trauma-focused psychotherapies along with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). 1 MDMA has recently been shown as a novel therapeutic agent with promisingly results in the treatment of PTSD. MDMA is a psychoactive compound traditionally categorized as a psychedelic amphetamine that deemed a Schedule I controlled substance in the 1980s. Prior to its status as a controlled substance, it was used by psychotherapists for an array of psychiatric issues. In more recent times, MDMA has resurfaced as a potential therapy for PTSD and the data produced from randomized, controlled trials back the desire for MDMA to be utilized as an effective pharmacologic therapy in conjunction with psychotherapy. 2