Polydrug Use Typologies of Regular Ecstasy Users Visiting Electronic Dance Music Events: A Latent Class Analysis.
Ruben Johannes Jacob Van Beek, Matthijs Blankers, Marloes Kleinjan, Jon Waldron, Meryem Grabski, Tom P. Freeman, Valerie H. Curran, Peggy Van der Pol, Margriet Van Laar
European Addiction Research 2024 DOI: 10.1159/000534487 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey with latent class analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,255 |
| Population | Young adult ecstasy users aged 18-34 who regularly attend electronic dance music events in the UK and Netherlands |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Electronic dance music Latent class analysis Nightlife Polydrug use |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Three similar polydrug use patterns were identified in both countries, but UK users consumed MDMA more often as powder/crystalline at higher dosages than Dutch users, who preferred tablets. |
Abstract
Polydrug use patterns among young adults using ecstasy vary, as well as their willingness to change them. Polydrug use patterns are likely associated with different adverse health outcomes. It is unknown whether polydrug use patterns of young adults who use ecstasy are similar in different countries. This study aims to identify and compare polydrug use patterns and willingness to change them of young adults that use ecstasy in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands (NL), two countries with a high prevalence of ecstasy use and a large electronic dance music (EDM) scene. The data from the online cross-sectional Electronic Music Scene Survey were used in a latent class analysis. The binary indicators used in the estimation were past-year substance use of 21 different substances. The sample consisted of young adult ecstasy users that regularly visit EDM events (age 18-34). A total of 1,077 respondents from the UK (age M = 23.1) and 1,178 from the NL (age M = 23.7) that regularly visit EDM events were included in the analyses. In both countries, three polydrug use patterns of ecstasy users were identified based on Bayesian Information Criterion fit indices: a traditional polydrug use class (UK: 28%; NL: 40%), a stimulant and ketamine polydrug use class (UK: 48%; NL: 52%), and an extensive polydrug use class (UK: 24%; NL: 8%) characterized by substantial use of stimulants, depressant, and psychedelic substances. Overall, young adults that used ecstasy in the UK consumed 3,4-methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine (MDMA) more often as powder/crystalline and at higher dosages compared to young adults in the NL who preferred MDMA tablets. Regardless of polydrug class or country, most respondents indicated that they had the intention to reduce but not quit their use. In both countries, structurally similar polydrug use patterns among young adults that use ecstasy were found, while the use frequencies of individual substances and preferred MDMA form varied between the countries.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug Recreational Ecstasy users recruited via snowball peer network | 1992 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 100 |
| Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users Male regular ecstasy users and well-matched controls | 1999 | Cross-sectional association study | n = 20 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Patterns of recreational drug use at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland Drug users at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, aged 16-47, 80% between 18 and... | 2001 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 122 |
| Acute, sub‐acute and long‐term subjective consequences of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) consumption in 430 regular users Regular MDMA users | 2003 | Cross-sectional study | n = 466 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Self-treatment of psychiatric conditions using ketamine: Patterns, characteristics, and retrospective insights. Journal of Psychopharmacology June 1, 2026
- Three-day blues after ecstasy/MDMA use: Evidence from a longitudinal and daily analysis in the European nightlife scene. Drug and Alcohol Dependence September 12, 2025
- Preparations for rave music parties and consequences for attendees who consume psychedelic drugs. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment May 1, 2025