Psychosis and recreational use of MDMA (“Ecstasy”)
Eamon Keenan, Maurice Gervin, Arthur Dorman, John J O'Connor
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine October 1, 1993 DOI: 10.1017/s0790966700012647 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 17-year-old man who used MDMA recreationally |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Duration | Five months of recreational use |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | The authors report a 17-year-old man who developed paranoid psychosis following recreational MDMA use over five months, and argue that this is the first report of psychosis after recreational rather than heavy use. They contend the case highlights the psychological dangers of MDMA, which they say has been widely misused in Dublin. |
Abstract
AbstractA seventeen year old man attended the National Drug Treatment Centre with a paranoid psychosis following ingestion of Methylene dioxy methamphetamine (MDMA). He had been taking MDMA on a recreational basis over a five month period. Although chronic psychosis after heavy use of MDMA has been reported there are no pervious reports of psychosis following recreational use. This report highlights the psychological dangers of this drug, which has become widely misused in Dublin over the last two years.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'Eve' and 'Ecstasy'. A report of five deaths associated with the use of MDEA and MDMA Individuals whose deaths were associated with MDMA or MDEA use | 1987 | Case series | n = 5 |
| Pathology of deaths associated with "ecstasy" and "eve" misuse. Young white men aged 20 to 25 who died after using ring-substituted amphetamines (MDMA... | 1996 | Case series | n = 7 |
| 'Eve' and 'Ecstasy' Individuals who died after using MDMA or MDEA | 1987 | Case series | n = 5 |
| A Method of Conducting Therapeutic Sessions with MDMA Clients with clear therapeutic purpose, excluding those with serious functional... | 1998 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Diversity of Psychopathology Associated with use of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’) Psychiatric patients presenting between 1990 and 1992 whose symptoms developed in the... | 1994 | Case series | n = 13 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Is the Use of Ecstasy and Hallucinogens Increasing? European Addiction Research 1998
- Psychiatric disorders in Ecstasy (MDMA) users: a literature review focusing on personal predisposition and drug history Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of its possible persistent psychological effects Psychopharmacology September 7, 2000
Cites 4
- Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug British Journal of Addiction August 1, 1992
- Chronic paranoid psychosis after misuse of MDMA ("ecstasy") BMJ March 23, 1991
- Neuroendocrine and Mood Responses to Intravenous L-Tryptophan in 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Users Archives of General Psychiatry 1989
- Toxicity and deaths from 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("ecstasy"). The Lancet August 15, 1992