Social Workers' Attitudes and Beliefs about MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Adolescents with PTSD.
Maha N. Mian, Jordan Horan, Taweh Hunter, Alan K. Davis, Stacey B. Armstrong
Social Work April 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1093/sw/swaf005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 222 |
| Population | Social workers |
| Interventions | MDMA-assisted therapy selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-assisted therapy |
| Topics | MDMA PTSD |
| Keywords | Adolescents Psychedelics Mental health treatment Psychedelic Therapy MDMA Adolescent psychiatry teens Youth Young adults Trauma Ssris selective |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Social workers rated SSRI-assisted therapy as significantly more acceptable, appropriate, and feasible than MDMA-assisted therapy for treating adolescent treatment-resistant PTSD. |
Abstract
Given the widespread interest and ongoing study on MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for PTSD, its implications for unique populations-such as adolescents-require further understanding. Social workers will likely play a crucial role in the potential implementation of this intervention, but their perspectives remain unknown. The study includes 222 social workers randomized to read one of two vignettes about MDMA-AT or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-assisted therapy (SSRI-AT) for treating adolescent treatment-resistant PTSD. Participants rated each treatment's acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility, followed by drug stigma, perceptions of drug risk, and psychedelic knowledge. Participants in the SSRI-AT condition reported significantly higher mean ratings of treatment acceptability (p < .001; d = .72), appropriateness (p < .001; d = .72), and feasibility (p < .001; d =. 64). In the MDMA-AT condition, perceptions of MDMA risk were greater (p < .001; d = .59) and psychedelic stigma positively correlated with perceived risk of MDMA (r = .46, p < .001). Moreover, greater psychedelic knowledge was significantly related to less stigma (r = -.33, p < .001) and less perceived risk of MDMA (r = -.21, p < .001). Concerns among social workers about the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of MDMA-AT for adolescents with PTSD may limit clinical trial recruitment, engagement, and future implementation.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on MDMA for PTSD, most cited first.