Evenings with Molly: Adult Couples' Use of MDMA for Relationship Enhancement.
Robert Colbert, Shannon Hughes
Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry March 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s11013-021-09764-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Adult couples in committed relationships who self-reported active MDMA use |
| Intervention | MDMA self-administration |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | 3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine Grounded theory Psychedelics |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key findings | Couples described purposeful, collaborative MDMA use that enhanced communication, intimate bonding, and relationship quality, suggesting a model of non-problematic adult use for cognitive and relational enhancement. |
Abstract
Within the modern resurgence of psychedelics as medicinal agents for a range of conditions, the story of MDMA (Ecstasy, Molly) has been re-narrated from a dangerous street drug to a breakthrough mental health therapy. Even still, the story of MDMA remains incomplete within a binary discourse of deviant recreational use versus psychotherapeutic-medical use. The present research aimed to uncover an emerging model of MDMA use grounded in the experiences of adult couples using MDMA privately and in the context of their committed relationships. Eight adult couples who self-reported active MDMA use were recruited for confidential in-depth interviews exploring questions related to drug, set, and setting as a general framework for understanding their private experiences with MDMA. A general inductive coding process was used to arrive at four overarching themes: Conscious Use, A Tool for Exploring, Planned Recovery, and Difficult Experiences. Couples reported making purposeful decisions about MDMA use, collaborating together on becoming physically and emotionally "set" for their drug experience. Couples described positive effects on communication, intimate bonding, and providing a relationship "tune up," among other durable changes to the relationship. An emerging cognitive-relational model of "evenings with Molly" contrasts with existing models of use by suggesting the possibility of informed, non-problematic adult use of the drug for cognitive and relational enhancement. With a small, homogenous sample reporting generally positive experiences with MDMA self-administration, findings from this study cannot be generalized. It remains unknown what proportion of the total MDMA user population might align with the non-problematic adult use of MDMA explored in this study. Additional focused investigations might examine the prevalence and varieties of non-clinical use among adults in order to arrive at rational, science-based regulatory frameworks.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenomenology and Sequelae of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Use Psychiatrists who had taken MDMA | 1992 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| MDMA and Sexual Behavior: Ecstasy Users' Perceptions About Sexuality and Sexual Risk Current and former users of MDMA | 2005 | Qualitative study | n = 98 |
| Perceived Benefits of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy beyond Symptom Reduction: Qualitative Follow-Up Study of a Clinical Trial for Individuals with Treatment-Resistant PTSD Veterans, firefighters, and police officers with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD | 2019 | Qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis | n = 19 |
| Negative Experiences on Ecstasy: The Role of Drug, Set, and Setting Current or former users of Ecstasy | 2002 | Qualitative study | n = 98 |
| A Qualitative Exploration of Relational Ethical Challenges and Practices in Psychedelic Healing Practitioners who have administered MDMA and psilocybin to clients in underground... | 2021 | Qualitative study | n = 23 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Drugs Used in "Chemsex"/Sexualized Drug Behaviour-Overview of the Related Clinical Psychopharmacological Issues. Brain Sciences April 22, 2025
- Psychedelics as a tool for a more connected and sustainable world? Considering the importance of rituals, boundaries, and commitment. International Journal of Drug Policy September 5, 2024
- Exploring effects and experiences of ketamine in group couples therapy Journal of Psychedelic Studies May 6, 2024
- Can research on entactogens contribute to a deeper understanding of human sexuality? Pharmacological Reports December 1, 2023
- Psychedelics beyond medicine: Treatment, enhancement, hype, consent, and the limits of medicalization Philosophical Psychology September 8, 2025
and 5 more in the library
Cites 13
- Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- 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
- The confounding problem of polydrug use in recreational ecstasy/MDMA users: a brief overview Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006
- A Review of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Assisted Psychotherapy Frontiers in Psychiatry March 20, 2019
- The early use of MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) in psychotherapy (1977–1985) Drug Science, Policy and Law 2018
and 8 more in the library