Self-reported depressive symptomatology in community samples of polysubstance misusers who report Ecstasy use: a meta-analysis.
Journal of Psychopharmacology January 2005 DOI: 10.1177/0269881105048901 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Recreational users of Ecstasy and controls from 25 studies |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Ecstasy use is associated with depressive symptomatology, but the effect is small (effect size 0.31) and unlikely to be clinically relevant. The association remained after controlling for cannabis use, and effect size correlated with lifetime Ecstasy exposure, but not with other use parameters or abstention. |
Abstract
National drugs information strategies convey the message that use of Ecstasy is associated with an increase in both the incidence and severity of major depressive disorder. However, very little primary research supports this. Unlike apparent deficits in higher cognitive functions, most published studies have found no difference in self-reported depressive symptomatology between Ecstasy users and controls. To investigate this further, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies investigating depressive symptomatology in recreational users of Ecstasy. According to selection criteria, we identified 25 relevant studies. A statistically significant effect size (ES) of 0.31 (95% confidence interval 0.17-0.37, p < 0.001) was calculated. Significance remained after examining the small number of studies that controlled for cannabis use (n = 9, p < 0.001) but, in general, drug histories were poorly reported. There was an association between ES and lifetime Ecstasy exposure (p < 0.001), but not for other use parameters or abstention (p > 0.05). These data indicate that there is an association between Ecstasy use and depressive symptomatology, but this is small and unlikely to be clinically relevant. In addition, the self-report scales used may be heavily confounded by the somatic effects of substance misuse. Public health strategies derived from psychopharmacological investigations should acknowledge the potential negative effects of substance misuse but qualify the difficulties in interpreting research studies.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A review of the acute subjective effects of MDMA/ecstasy | 2006 | Systematic review | |
| Adverse events in clinical treatments with serotonergic psychedelics and MDMA: A mixed-methods systematic review Patients in clinical trials with MDMA or serotonergic psychedelics | 2022 | Systematic review | n = 598 |
| Treating posttraumatic stress disorder with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy: A preliminary meta-analysis and comparison to prolonged exposure therapy Patients with PTSD | 2016 | Meta-analysis | |
| The neuropsychology of ecstasy (MDMA) use: a quantitative review MDMA users | 2007 | Meta-analysis | |
| Drug-drug interactions between psychiatric medications and MDMA or psilocybin: a systematic review | 2022 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 35
- MDMA in humans: factors which affect the neuropsychobiological profiles of recreational ecstasy users, the integrative role of bioenergetic stress Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): current perspectives Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation November 1, 2013
- Pill content, dose and resulting plasma concentrations of 3,4‐methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in recreational ‘ecstasy’ users Addiction February 14, 2011
- Depressive symptomatology in young adults with a history of MDMA use: a longitudinal analysis Journal of Psychopharmacology August 22, 2007
- MDMA and the “Ecstasy Paradigm” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2014
and 30 more in the library
Cites 19
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- The content of ecstasy tablets: implications for the study of their long‐term effects Addiction December 1, 2002
and 14 more in the library