MDMA‐Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review With Meta‐Analysis
The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology October 28, 2021 K W Smith, Dakota Sicignano, Adrían V. Hernández et al. 136 citations
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy reduces PTSD symptoms more than control therapy. Patients receiving MDMA showed a greater reduction in Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale scores (difference of –22.03; 95% CI, –38.53 to –5.52) and were 3.65 times more likely to achieve clinically significant symptom reductions (95% CI, 2.39–5.57). They were also 2.10 times more likely to no longer meet PTSD criteria (95% CI, 1.37–3.21). Common side effects include bruxism, anxiety, jitteriness, headache, and nausea. The therapy is generally safe and well tolerated, but unregulated MDMA or use outside a controlled therapeutic setting carries considerable risks.