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MDMA-assisted therapy for borderline personality disorder

Ann M. Inouye, Aaron Wolfgang, Lianne T. Philhower

Journal of Psychedelic Studies December 14, 2023 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2023.00196 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Sample size 4
Population Clinicians who treat BPD and MDMA-assisted therapy clinicians
Intervention MDMA-assisted therapy
Topics Psychedelic-assisted therapy PTSD MDMA
Keywords Ecstasy therapy Personality disorder Trauma: PTSD Psychological trauma Therapeutic mechanisms Clinical trials
Citations 1
Key findings Perspectives from clinicians revealed similarities and limitations of dialectical behavioral therapy and MDMA-assisted therapy for BPD and PTSD.

Abstract

AbstractAssociated with high-risk behavior, borderline personality disorder (BPD) remains one of the field's most misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and stigmatized conditions. Individuals with BPD are frequently labeled as treatment-resistant patients. Furthermore, 25–58% of BPD individuals have a comorbid diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and BPD may be conceptualized as a trauma-spectrum disorder. In Phase 3 clinical trials for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) full-dose participants for treatment-resistant PTSD found that up to 71.2% no longer met the criteria for PTSD. While PTSD is quite different from BPD, a qualitative exploration on the overlap in etiology and conceptualization provided new perspectives by interviewing two clinicians who focus their treatment with BPD diagnosed individuals and two MDMA-assisted therapy clinicians. This research examines the etiological, conceptualization, and therapeutic mechanisms of MDMA-assisted therapists and dialectical behavioral therapists. Through eight qualitative interviews, perspectives of the four participants revealed the similarities and limitations of both treatments.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on MDMA and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Perceived Benefits of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy beyond Symptom Reduction: Qualitative Follow-Up Study of a Clinical Trial for Individuals with Treatment-Resistant PTSD Veterans, firefighters, and police officers with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD 2019 Qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis n = 19
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy; Inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in the frontiers of PTSD treatment trials Transgender and gender diverse adults with a history of receiving trauma-related mental... 2022 Qualitative study n = 17
Expert Opinion on Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy for People with Psychopathological Psychotic Experiences and Psychotic Disorders Experts in psychiatry, clinical psychology, medicine, and psychedelic effects 2024 Qualitative study n = 12
Perceived key change phenomena of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of severe PTSD: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of clinical integration sessions. Participants with severe PTSD 2023 Qualitative study n = 7
A taxonomy of regulatory and policy matters relevant to psychedelic-assisted therapy in Australia Professionals with expertise in fields relating to psychedelic-assisted therapy 2024 Qualitative study

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