Psychiatric profiles of mothers who take Ecstasy/MDMA during pregnancy: reduced depression 1 year after giving birth and quitting Ecstasy.
John Turner, Andrew C. Parrott, Julia Goodwin, Derek G. Moore, Sarah Fulton, Meeyoung O. Min, Lynn T. Singer
Journal of Psychopharmacology January 2014 DOI: 10.1177/0269881113515061 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective observational cohort study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 96 |
| Population | Young women who used recreational drugs during pregnancy: 28 who used Ecstasy/MDMA and 68 polydrug controls who used other psychoactive drugs |
| Duration | First trimester of pregnancy through 12 months after childbirth |
| Measures | Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) |
| Topics | Depression MDMA |
| Keywords | Cessation Drug addiction Middle class Mother Post-partum Pregnancy Quitting Recreational drugs |
| Key findings | MDMA-using mothers reported higher first-trimester depression scores than polydrug controls, but by one year after childbirth their depression scores were significantly lower and closer to control values, alongside a near-zero drop in MDMA use. The authors report significant reductions in obsessive-compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity symptoms following Ecstasy/MDMA cessation, consistent with previous reports of improved psychiatric health after quitting MDMA. |
Abstract
The recreational drug MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or 'Ecstasy' is associated with heightened psychiatric distress and feelings of depression. The Drugs and Infancy Study (DAISY) monitored the psychiatric symptom profiles of mothers who used Ecstasy/MDMA while pregnant, and followed them over the first year post-partum. We compared 28 young women whom took MDMA during their pregnancy with a polydrug control group of 68 women who took other psychoactive drugs while pregnant. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was completed for several periods: The first trimester of pregnancy; and 1, 4 and 12 months after childbirth. Recreational drug use was monitored at each time point. During the first trimester of pregnancy, MDMA-using mothers reported higher depression scores than the polydrug controls. At 1 year after childbirth, their BSI depression scores were significantly lower, now closer to the control group values. At the same time point, their self-reported use of MDMA became nearly zero, in contrast to their continued use of Cannabis/marijuana, nicotine and alcohol. We found significant symptom reductions in those with BSI obsessive-compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity, following Ecstasy/MDMA cessation. The findings from this unique prospective study of young recreational drug-using mothers are consistent with previous reports of improved psychiatric health after quitting MDMA.
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 |
| Anxiety, depression, and behavioral symptoms of executive dysfunction in ecstasy users: contributions of polydrug use. Men and women with a wide range of ecstasy use, including 17 marijuana-using controls | 2007 | Observational study | n = 65 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- MDMA, cortisol, and heightened stress in recreational ecstasy users Behavioural Pharmacology July 11, 2014
- Oxytocin, cortisol and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine: neurohormonal aspects of recreational ‘ecstasy’ Behavioural Pharmacology December 1, 2016
- Developmental outcomes of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy)-exposed infants in the UK Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental July 1, 2015
- Mood Fluctuation and Psychobiological Instability: The Same Core Functions Are Disrupted by Novel Psychoactive Substances and Established Recreational Drugs Brain Sciences March 13, 2018
- Psychedelic exposure in pregnancy: a scoping review to inform perinatal drug safety and clinical counseling. Therapeutic advances in drug safety 2026
and 1 more in the library
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