MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for AUD: Bayesian analysis of WHO drinking risk level and exploratory analysis of drinking behavior and psychosocial functioning at 3 months follow-up.
Hannah Thurgur, Ben Sessa, Laurie Higbed, Steve O'Brien, Claire Durant, Sue Wilson, Balázs Szigeti, Celia J. A. Morgan, David Nutt
Alcohol and Alcoholism May 14, 2025 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agaf031 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Open-label feasibility study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 14 |
| Population | Adults with alcohol use disorder who had recently undergone detoxification |
| Intervention | MDMA-assisted psychotherapy |
| Duration | Eight-week course of ten psychotherapy sessions with two MDMA sessions, three-month follow-up |
| Topics | MDMA Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Craving Psychosocial Psychotherapy Sleep Well-being Clinical research Substance abuse treatment Mental health interventions Addiction therapy Psychedelic medicine |
| Citations | 3 |
| Registration | NCT04158778 |
| Key points | Bayesian analysis suggested a 55%-63% probability of a two-level reduction in WHO drinking risk from baseline to three months post-treatment. |
Abstract
Safety and tolerability data from the first open-label feasibility study of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder was recently published. This paper presents a Bayesian analysis of the impact of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on treatment success, defined as 2-level reduction in the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking risk at the 3 months follow-up. We also examined the impact on drinking behavior and psychosocial measures at 3 months compared to baseline. Fourteen participants with a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder who had recently undergone detoxification completed an eight-week course of ten psychotherapy sessions, including two sessions with MDMA. Measures assessing drinking behavior, quality of life, sleep, self-compassion, and empathy were collected. Bayesian analysis using flat and skeptical priors was performed to determine treatment success defined as a 2-level reduction in WHO drinking risk. Bayesian analysis suggested that the probability of a 2-level reduction in WHO drinking risk from baseline to 3 months post-treatment is 55%-63%, based upon either a flat or skeptical prior respectively. We present preliminary findings suggesting reductions in alcohol craving (measured by the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale and Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale) and improvements in sleep and aspects of psychosocial functioning at 3 months follow-up compared to baseline. The Bayesian analysis provides a useful harm reduction endpoint interpretation of drinking in terms of a 2-level reduction in WHO drinking risk. Further findings provide preliminary insights into the potential impact of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on quality of life and well-being in addition to reductions in drinking. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04158778.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on MDMA and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Through the Looking-Glass: A Scoping Review of Psychological Mechanisms of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for Substance Use Disorders Current Addiction Reports September 2, 2026
- Psychologists’ attitudes towards the use of MDMA in therapy may be shaped by personal experiences Clinical Psychologist August 13, 2026
- MDMA-assisted PTSD and Alcohol Therapy Trial (MPATHY): study protocol for a double-blind, randomised, controlled outpatient trial of MDMA-assisted integrated exposure-based therapy for comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder BMJ Open July 1, 2026
- MDMA alters fear extinction, and reduces alcohol consumption in inbred alcohol preferring iP rats but not outbred Wistar rats. Neuropsychopharmacology March 27, 2026
- Rare but relevant: MDMA and hyponatraemia Addiction December 8, 2025
and 1 more in the library
Cites 18
- MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nature Medicine June 1, 2021
- MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Nature Medicine October 1, 2023
- Durability of improvement in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and absence of harmful effects or drug dependency after 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy: a prospective long-term follow-up study. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2013
- Blinding and expectancy confounds in psychedelic randomized controlled trials Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology May 26, 2021
- Increased oxytocin concentrations and prosocial feelings in humans after ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) administration Social Neuroscience June 25, 2009
and 13 more in the library