Molly users versus nonusers in a sample of college alcohol drinkers: Differences in substance-related harms and sensation seeking.
Ashley N Linden-Carmichael, Amy L Stamates, Brynn E Sheehan, Cathy Lau-Barraco
Substance Abuse 2016 DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2015.1137536 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 710 |
| Population | College alcohol drinkers (71.9% female) |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Alcohol College students Substance-related problems |
| Key findings | About 12% of 710 college alcohol drinkers reported lifetime Molly use. Molly users reported higher alcohol and other drug use, more substance-related problems, and greater sensation seeking than nonusers, and reported poorer outcomes such as blacking out, academic or occupational problems, and withdrawal symptoms even after accounting for sensation seeking and other substance use. The authors argue this indicates Molly use is uniquely related to greater risk for substance-related harms. |
Abstract
Molly is one form of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) that is touted to be more "pure" and potentially less harmful than other forms, such as ecstasy. Media reports and case studies suggest that this drug is popular among college students and is related to adverse health problems. The current study sought to address the knowledge gaps about Molly by examining whether users differ in substance use outcomes and sensation seeking than nonusers. Specifically, this study tested whether Molly users engaged in heavier use of other substances and experienced more substance-related harms in general than nonusers. Further, the current study investigated whether Molly users exhibited higher levels of sensation seeking than nonusers. Lastly, this study examined whether Molly user status would be associated with substance-related harms beyond the confounding influence of other substance use and trait sensation seeking. Participants were 710 (71.9% female) college alcohol drinkers who completed self-report surveys about substance use (i.e., Molly, alcohol, and other drug use), substance-related problems, and sensation seeking. Results revealed that approximately 12% of the sample reported lifetime Molly use. Molly users compared with nonusers reported higher levels of other drug use, alcohol use, substance-related problems, and sensation seeking. Further, Molly users reported experiencing poorer substance use outcomes (e.g., blacking out, academic/occupational problems, and withdrawal symptoms) after accounting for sensation seeking and other substance use. These findings indicate that Molly users are higher in sensation seeking and that use is uniquely related to greater risk for substance-related harms. These preliminary findings demonstrate a need for correcting possible misperceptions regarding the purity of Molly and educating users on the potential for experiencing associated harms. Such information could be used to develop efficacious prevention programming for college students.
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 4
- Chronic tolerance to recreational MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or Ecstasy Journal of Psychopharmacology 2005
- Human psychobiology of MDMA or ‘Ecstasy’: an overview of 25 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental July 1, 2013
- Linking the pharmacological content of ecstasy tablets to the subjective experiences of drug users. Psychopharmacology April 2012
- Is ecstasy a drug of dependence? Drug and Alcohol Dependence February 1, 2010