Skip to content

VA launches MDMA‐assisted mental health therapy trial

Valerie A. Canady

Mental Health Weekly June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/mhw.34891 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Clinical trial Peer reviewed
Topics MDMA
Key findings The VA has launched a clinical trial to evaluate MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MDMA‐assisted therapy for treating severe mental health disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder, a news release announced May 26.

Comparable studies

Other non-randomized and open-label trials on MDMA, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
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. Adults with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD 2013 Long-term follow-up of a completed trial n = 19
First study of safety and tolerability of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in patients with alcohol use disorder. Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) following community alcohol detoxification 2021 Open-label safety and tolerability proof-of-concept study n = 14
MDMA-facilitated cognitive-behavioural conjoint therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: an uncontrolled trial. Couples in which one partner was diagnosed with PTSD 2020 Pilot study n = 6
Culturally informed research design issues in a study for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder People of color with posttraumatic stress disorder 2019 Phase 2 open-label multisite study
The Consequences of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Induced CYP2D6 Inhibition in Humans Healthy male subjects 2008 Controlled clinical trial n = 15

Related reading

Explore topics

MDMA Addiction PTSD