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Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted Psychotherapy For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

J. Sá Couto ,
B. Da Luz ,
J. Rodrigues ,
M. Pão Trigo  and
T. Ventura Gil
J. Sá Couto*
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, Departamento De Psiquiatria E Saúde Mental, Unidade De Faro, Faro, Portugal
B. Da Luz
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, Departamento De Psiquiatria E Saúde Mental, Unidade De Faro, Faro, Portugal
J. Rodrigues
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, Departamento De Psiquiatria E Saúde Mental, Unidade De Faro, Faro, Portugal
M. Pão Trigo
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, Departamento De Psiquiatria E Saúde Mental, Unidade De Faro, Faro, Portugal
T. Ventura Gil
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, Departamento De Psiquiatria E Saúde Mental, Unidade De Faro, Faro, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition which can be developed following traumatic experience. Treatment guidelines have long considered psychotherapy as a first line treatment. Despite that, PTSD remains an illness with high rates of comorbidity. Therefore, exploring novel therapies is of utmost importance.

Objectives

Clarifying methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy efficacy in symptom relief in people with PTSD. Explaining clinical MDMA mechanism of action. Assessing safety of MDMA clinical use.

Methods

PubMed database search, with “MDMA for PTSD” keyword expression. 12 Articles published in the last ten years were selected among the 112 best matches. Reference lists of articles were reviewed to identify additional articles.

Results

Mithoefer et al. (2010) carried out the first controlled clinical study with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in people with PTSD. Twenty patients with treatment-resistant PTSD were selected. They were given either placebo or two or three sessions of MDMA. 83% of the experimental group no longer met the criteria for PTSD (mean remission lasted 45 months without further MDMA doses) compared with 25% of the placebo group. Further studies were also suggestive of improvements in treatment-resistant PTSD patients undergoing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. MDMA may increase exposure therapy effectiveness, allowing patients to stay emotionally involved while revisiting past traumas without being overwhelmed by anxiety and fear.

Conclusions

To date, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy studies demonstrated consistently positive results. However, they have been carried out with small groups of individuals. Therefore, larger trials should be conducted to assess MDMA’s efficacy and safety for it to become a licensed medicine.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

Psychotherapyposttraumatic stress disorderMETHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S672 - S673
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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