Recreational ecstasy use and depression.
Casey R. Guillot, David Greenway
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) May 2006 DOI: 10.1177/0269881106063265 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Heavy ecstasy users and ecstasy-naive college students |
| Measures | Beck Depression Inventory-II |
| Topics | Depression MDMA |
| Key findings | No significant differences in Beck Depression Inventory-II scores were found between heavy ecstasy users and ecstasy-naive college students, and no significant relationships emerged between depression scores and measures of ecstasy use. Most users with psychiatric diagnoses reported diagnoses preceding ecstasy use. |
Abstract
Research in laboratory animals has shown that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) destroys serotonergic axons in the brain at certain doses. Serotonin is known to take part in the regulation of mood in humans. Many researchers have hypothesized that if recreational ecstasy use destroys serotonergic axons, then a corresponding decline in the mood of ecstasy users should be seen. The purpose of the present study was to look at the relationship between recreational ecstasy use and depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II. No significant differences were found between Beck Depression Inventory-II scores of heavy ecstasy users and ecstasy-naive college students. No significant relationships were found between Beck Depression Inventory-II scores and any of the measures of ecstasy use. Most ecstasy users who had been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder reported that being diagnosed preceded their use of ecstasy.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on MDMA for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoms of anxiety and depression in childhood and use of MDMA: prospective, population based study Children and adolescents from the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland | 2006 | Prospective longitudinal population-based study | n = 1,580 |
| Past-year hallucinogen use in relation to psychological distress, depression, and suicidality among US adults. US noninstitutionalized adults from the 2015-2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 241,675 |
| Ecstasy (MDMA) and its Relationship with Self- Report Depression, Anxiety and Schizotypy Participants divided into three groups: no ecstasy use, light ecstasy users (fewer than... | 2010 | Observational cohort | |
| The relationship between 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use in young adulthood and anxiety or depressive disorders in the mid-30s: Findings from the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study. Year 9 students (aged 14-15) from 44 Victorian schools in Australia, followed to age 35 | 2025 | Longitudinal population-based cohort study | n = 1,943 |
| Relationship between ecstasy use and depression: a study controlling for poly-drug use. Current MDMA users, ex-MDMA users, poly-drug controls who never used MDMA, and... | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 110 |