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Major depression: the relative contribution of gender, MDMA, and cannabis use

Heather Durdle, Leslie H. Lundahl, Chris‐ellyn Johanson, Manuel E. Tancer

Depression and Anxiety March 7, 2007 DOI: 10.1002/da.20297 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed
Sample size 226
Population MDMA users (65% male) with an average of 35.8 lifetime uses
Topics Cannabis Depression MDMA
Keywords Depression economics Logistic regression Substance abuse Poison control Clinical psychology Cognition Medical emergency
Citations 34
Key findings Lifetime cannabis use disorder, but not MDMA use, was significantly associated with lifetime Major Depressive Disorder, particularly among female MDMA users.

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) users have elevated depressive symptomatology, although it is not clear whether this is due to MDMA or other drug use. This study aimed to investigate the contributions of MDMA and cannabis use to Major Depressive Disorder in MDMA users. A total of 226 MDMA users were studied. Participants (65% male) reported an average number of 35.8 uses of MDMA (SD = 45.6, range = 2-400). Participants were administered a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Twenty-six individuals (11.5%) met lifetime criteria for Major Depressive Disorder. High rates of lifetime Cannabis Abuse (30.1%) and Cannabis Dependence (12.4%) were reported. No association was found between number of uses of MDMA and Major Depressive Disorder. Those with lifetime major depression were found, however, to have higher rates of lifetime cannabis use disorder (adjusted OR = 2.40). A logistic regression indicated that lifetime cannabis use disorder, but not MDMA use, was significantly associated with lifetime Major Depressive Disorder. Stratified analyses suggested that for males, neither drug use variable was associated with major depression. For females, a lifetime cannabis use disorder (adjusted OR = 4.99), but not MDMA use, was associated with lifetime Major Depressive Disorder. Results of this study suggest that although MDMA use was not found to be significantly associated with major depression for either gender, a lifetime cannabis use disorder was significantly associated with lifetime major depression for female, but not male, users of MDMA.

In the evidence

This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.

  • State of the evidence: MDMA for depression No effect

    Number of MDMA uses was not associated with lifetime major depressive disorder, whereas lifetime cannabis use disorder was.

    Synthesized

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on MDMA for depression, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Attitudes toward psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapy among potential mental health service users and the general population in Australia. Australians, including individuals with and without self-identified mental illness 2024 Cross-sectional survey n = 502
Anxiety and depression symptoms in Brazilian sexual minority ecstasy and LSD users Young Brazilian adults who used ecstasy and/or LSD in the past 90 days and were not in... 2017 Cross-sectional study n = 240
Depression, impulsiveness, sleep, and memory in past and present polydrug users of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy). Recreational drug users and controls, including present and past ecstasy users and... 2014 Observational cross-sectional study n = 997

Citations in the library

Cited by 9

and 4 more in the library

Cites 13

and 8 more in the library

Related reading

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Cannabis Depression MDMA Addiction

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MDMA for depression