Is there a case for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in the UK?
Journal of Psychopharmacology February 28, 2007 DOI: 10.1177/0269881107069029 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Randomized Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychotherapist Recreational use Subject documents Law |
| Citations | 44 |
| Key findings | MDMA has a history of apparently safe and effective therapeutic use in psychotherapy, and recent double-blind randomized controlled trials are revisiting its potential as an adjunct to psychotherapy. |
Abstract
Much has been written in scientific and popular literature in recent years about the dangers surrounding the recreational use of the drug MDMA/ecstasy. What is little known and understood however is the history of the apparently safe and effective use of MDMA as a therapeutic tool for psychotherapy. In this paper the author explores this history and describes the recent re-emergence of scientific interest in MDMA and other psychedelic drugs. There are currently several new double-blind randomised controlled trials underway re-visiting the subject. By acknowledging the limitations of this new research and emphasising the importance of exercising appropriate but realistic caution, the author asks that the medical profession consider a dispassionate and open-minded debate to examine whether MDMA might have a legitimate place as an adjunct to psychotherapy in modern psychiatric practice.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on MDMA and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 19
- Increased oxytocin concentrations and prosocial feelings in humans after ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) administration Social Neuroscience June 25, 2009
- Hallucinogen use predicts reduced recidivism among substance-involved offenders under community corrections supervision Journal of Psychopharmacology 2014
- The emerging role of psilocybin and MDMA in the treatment of mental illness Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics September 21, 2020
- Pharmacosex: Reimagining sex, drugs and enhancement International Journal of Drug Policy November 24, 2020
- MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) Analogues as Tools to Characterize MDMA-Like Effects: An Approach to Understand Entactogen Pharmacology Current Neuropharmacology August 1, 2013
and 14 more in the library
Cites 16
- Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- Hallucinogenic Amphetamine Selectively Destroys Brain Serotonin Nerve Terminals Science September 6, 1985
- Small Changes in Ambient Temperature Cause Large Changes in 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Core Body Temperature in the Rat Journal of Neuroscience July 1, 1998
- Neurotoxicity of MDMA and Related Compounds: Anatomic Studiesa Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 1990
- Human Pharmacology of 3,4-Methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine ("Ecstasy"): Psychomotor Performance and Subjective Effects Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2000
and 11 more in the library