3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) - Assisted psychotherapy for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: Literature review
Tiberiu Constantin Ionescu, Ionut-Stelian Popa, Alin Chiriac, Cătălina Tudose
Romanian Journal of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy March 31, 2020 DOI: 10.37897/rjpp.2020.1.3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Literature review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction MDMA PTSD Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychotherapist Posttraumatic stress Clinical psychology |
| Key findings | Combining MDMA with psychotherapy shows potential for treating PTSD, but few advanced studies and concerns about addiction and controversy currently limit its use. |
Abstract
Objectives: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychiatric disorder, with disabling potential and chronic evolution, that occurs at some people due to exposure to a specific traumatic event or threats of death, serious injury or sexual violence. Currently, psychotherapy is accepted as one of the most effective methods of treating PTSD. Incomplete clinical response as well as frequent relapses indicate the need to seek alternative therapies, of which the combination of psychotherapy with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is noted for its possible useful effects.
Methods: This paper is a literature review that has reviewed several scientific articles looking at the adjuvant effect of MDMA associated with psychotherapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. The included studies were selected following systematic searches conducted on the PubMed online database. A total of 33 scientific articles were included.
Results: In general, the selected studies can be divided into two main areas in terms of
Objectives: studies looking at whether MDMA adjuvant psychotherapy is useful in post-traumatic stress syndrome and studies looking at the mechanisms by which MDMA can be associated with psychotherapy in the treatment of this condition.
Conclusions: Our results on the potential therapeutic effect of MDMA, especially in combination with psychotherapy, raise several controversies, limitations and opportunities. The existence of a small number of studies in an advanced stage, together with the significant addictive potential of the substance and the current controversies related to its use for therapeutic purposes currently limit of this therapeutic option. However, given that studies are in full swing, the benefits of increasing psychotherapy with MDMA could be a valid and frequently used treatment option in the future.