Coping motives mediate the relationship between PTSD and MDMA use in adolescents with substance use disorders
Addiction Science & Clinical Practice September 4, 2022 Lukas Andreas Basedow, Melina Felicitas Wiedmann, Veit Roessner et al. 17 citations
Adolescent patients with both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) reported more frequent past-year use of MDMA (ecstasy) than those with SUD alone or with traumatic experiences but no current PTSD. No such differences appeared for tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, or stimulants. The link between PTSD and higher MDMA use was partly explained by using the drug to cope with mental health symptoms. This suggests a specific coping mechanism for MDMA, possibly due to its unique psychoactive effects, rather than a general pattern of self-medication across all substances.