MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized, Open-label, Wait-list Controlled Trial
June 4, 2026 Jason B Luoma, M. Kati Lear, Brian Pilecki et al. preprint
MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MDMA-AT) produced a large reduction in social anxiety symptoms compared to a waitlist condition in adults with social anxiety disorder. In a randomized open-label trial of 20 participants, those receiving MDMA-AT showed an average decrease of 43.3 points on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale after 16 weeks, while the waitlist group did not. Improvements also occurred in functioning, shame, acceptance, belongingness, self-concealment, and self-compassion. Adverse events were mild to moderate and temporary; no serious adverse events occurred. These preliminary findings suggest MDMA-AT is safe and feasible for social anxiety disorder and warrant further research.