Application of the Passionate Attachment Model to Recreational Use of MDMA/Ecstasy
Alan K. Davis, Harold Rosenberg
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2015 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2014.973125 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Community sample of ecstasy users |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Passion Recreational use Clinical psychology Pill Pharmacology |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | Both obsessive and harmonious passion for ecstasy were associated with lower self-efficacy to refuse the drug and greater use of ecstasy to cope, but only obsessive passion was partially linked to higher consumption. |
Abstract
Those who are not addicted to ecstasy, but who use it persistently over time, could be viewed as having a "passionate attachment" to a highly valued activity. To evaluate the associations of obsessive and harmonious passion with psychological and behavioral aspects of ecstasy consumption, we recruited a community sample of ecstasy users to complete a modified version of the Passion Scale (Vallerand et al. 2003) and other questionnaires assessing their substance use history, self-efficacy to refuse ecstasy, and use of ecstasy to cope with worries and problems. Both Obsessive and Harmonious passion scores were negatively correlated with self-efficacy to refuse ecstasy and positively correlated with using ecstasy to cope with worries and problems. The findings also provided partial support for our hypotheses that scores on the Obsessive Passion subscale would be associated with number of times participants had used ecstasy, the frequency of use, and the typical number of pills consumed. Participants agreed more strongly with statements indicative of Harmonious Passion to consume ecstasy, but Harmonious subscale scores were not associated with several measures of consumption. As a supplemental measure, the modified questionnaire could provide a more comprehensive picture of the psychology of one's ecstasy use.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug Recreational Ecstasy users recruited via snowball peer network | 1992 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 100 |
| Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users Male regular ecstasy users and well-matched controls | 1999 | Cross-sectional association study | n = 20 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Patterns of recreational drug use at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland Drug users at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, aged 16-47, 80% between 18 and... | 2001 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 122 |
| Acute, sub‐acute and long‐term subjective consequences of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) consumption in 430 regular users Regular MDMA users | 2003 | Cross-sectional study | n = 466 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy Harm Reduction Journal April 11, 2021
- Motivations for Using MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) among African Americans: Implications for Prevention and Harm-Reduction Programs Journal of Psychoactive Drugs April 13, 2017
- A critical literature review of research on attachment and psychedelics: Synergies and research implications Psychedelics December 23, 2025
- What Do Young Adults Expect from the Recreational Use of Ecstasy (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine/Molly)? A Latent Class Analysis of a Convenience Sample of Dutch Young Adults European Addiction Research 2023
Cites 10
- A review of the acute subjective effects of MDMA/ecstasy Addiction March 24, 2006
- Human Research on MDMA (3,4-Methylene- dioxymethamphetamine) Neurotoxicity: Cognitive and Behavioural Indices of Change Neuropsychobiology 2000
- “Partying” Hard: Party Style, Motives for and Effects of MDMA Use at Rave Parties Substance Use & Misuse 2005
- Is MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) Neurotoxic in Humans? An Overview of Evidence and of Methodological Problems in Research Neuropsychobiology 2000
- A direct comparison of the behavioral and physiological effects of methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in humans Psychopharmacology June 30, 2011
and 5 more in the library