MDMA to Treat PTSD in Adults
Dustin Latimer, Michael D. Stocker, Kia Sayers, Jackson Green, Adam M. Kaye, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Elyse M. Cornett, Alan D. Kaye, Giustino Varrassi, Omar Viswanath, Ivan Urits
Psychopharmacology Bulletin August 12, 2025 DOI: 10.64719/pb.4414 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstractAbstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become one of the most common psychiatric diagnosis in the United States specifically within the veteran population. The current treatment options for this debilitating diagnosis include trauma-focused psychotherapies along with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). 1 MDMA has recently been shown as a novel therapeutic agent with promisingly results in the treatment of PTSD. MDMA is a psychoactive compound traditionally categorized as a psychedelic amphetamine that deemed a Schedule I controlled substance in the 1980s. Prior to its status as a controlled substance, it was used by psychotherapists for an array of psychiatric issues. In more recent times, MDMA has resurfaced as a potential therapy for PTSD and the data produced from randomized, controlled trials back the desire for MDMA to be utilized as an effective pharmacologic therapy in conjunction with psychotherapy. 2
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on MDMA for PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novel psychopharmacological therapies for psychiatric disorders: psilocybin and MDMA. | 2016 | Review | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Are memory reconsolidation and fear extinction underlying mechanisms? | 2018 | Review | |
| Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. | 2016 | Review | |
| MDMA‐Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review With Meta‐Analysis | 2021 | Review | |
| Registered clinical studies investigating psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders. Registered clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov evaluating psychedelics for... | 2021 | Review | n = 70 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- MDMA-Based Psychotherapy in Treatment-Resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Brief Narrative Overview of Current Evidence Diseases November 3, 2023
- Treating posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder comorbidity: Current pharmacological therapies and the future of MDMA-integrated psychotherapy. Journal of Psychopharmacology December 1, 2023
- Psilocybin in pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder Pharmacological Reports August 1, 2024
- The Efficacy of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Managing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A New Frontier? Cureus October 31, 2022
- Systematic review and rationale of using psychedelics in the treatment of cannabis use disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023
and 3 more in the library
Cites 37
- The safety and efficacy of {+/-}3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 19, 2010
- Differences Between the Mechanism of Action of MDMA, MBDB, and the Classic Hallucinogens. Identification of a New Therapeutic Class: Entactogens Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- Human Pharmacology of MDMA Therapeutic Drug Monitoring March 19, 2004
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans, firefighters, and police officers: a randomised, double-blind, dose-response, phase 2 clinical trial. The Lancet Psychiatry May 1, 2018
- A randomized, controlled pilot study of MDMA (±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine)-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of resistant, chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Journal of Psychopharmacology October 31, 2012
and 32 more in the library