MDMA-Assisted Therapy Randomized Controlled Trial Incremental Effects Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
medRxiv Preprint Server May 5, 2026 Nicholas C. Borgogna, D. Drew Whittington, Tyler Owen et al. preprint
MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) shows a moderate-to-large reduction in psychological symptoms compared to control conditions, based on a meta-analysis of eight controlled trials with 295 participants. The effect was larger against inert placebos than active controls. Trauma symptoms improved strongly, while depression showed a smaller, non-significant effect. Only 23% of publications met high-quality standards for reporting harms. Small samples and mediocre harm reporting underscore the need for larger, more transparent trials.