User perceptions of long-term costs and benefits of MDMA use: Findings from a large online sample
James W. B. Elsey, Vivi Anna Felicia Wuestman, Anouk Fieten
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational survey |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 886 |
| Population | Non-clinical MDMA users |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | MDMA users reported predominantly positive long-term effects, including increased aesthetic appreciation, deeper social connections, and changed life perspectives, while a minority reported negative effects such as worsened concentration, memory, and mood. Peer-influence motives for use were repeatedly associated with lower positive and higher negative long-term effects. |
Abstract
Background. Previous research has focused on risks associated with non-clinical MDMA use, contrasting short-sighted hedonistic motivations with negative long-term consequences. User perceptions may be more nuanced, incorporating numerous underexplored positive long-term effects. We aimed to: (1) Assess MDMA user perceptions regarding both positive and negative long-term effects, and (2) Generate a large, open dataset with correlates to explore for future research.Methods. 886 non-clinical MDMA users completed an online, opt-in survey, with self-reported measures of acute, subacute, and long-term effects, motivations, use context, and polydrug use.Results. User perceptions of MDMA’s long-term effects were far more positive than negative. Respondents endorsed long-term increases in aesthetic appreciation, deeper social connections, and positive changes in life perspectives, among other positive outcomes. A minority of users reported negative effects (e.g. on concentration/memory and mood), which remain important. Long-term effects showed several correlations with acute effects and motivations, with use due to peer influence being repeatedly linked to lower positive and higher negative long-term effects.Conclusion. MDMA users report getting much more than a momentary high from taking the drug. A nuanced appreciation of user perceptions can inform drug safety communication, and advance our understanding of drug effects by highlighting targets for further investigation.
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
Cites 17
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Psychedelics and the essential importance of context. Journal of Psychopharmacology February 15, 2018
- LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Journal of Psychopharmacology November 11, 2014
- 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
and 12 more in the library