Evaluating the efficacy and safety of MDMA for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: a systematic review
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Date
2025
Authors
Kodancha, Megha
Chahrour, Houssein
Carey, Cassandra
Fazeli, Hiva
Azadian, Anahita
Kajitani, Sten Hiroshi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UCC Medical Research and Technology Society
Published Version
Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects approximately 5-7% of the population, with conventional treatments often proving inadequate for some patients. Recent studies suggest that methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) combined with psychotherapy may offer a novel therapeutic approach. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy and safety of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD in individuals with chronic, treatment-resistant forms of the disorder. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, OVID, Scopus, Cochrane databases, and select reference lists for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. Eligibility criteria included RCTs with participants with confirmed PTSD diagnoses using standardized clinical assessments. Results: In the RCT studies, there are significant reductions in PTSD symptoms (p<0.05) in those with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy compared to those with placebo and psychotherapy; dose-dependent improvements were observed in various measurements scales (specifically in CAPS-IV/CAPS-5 scores). Open-label trials further demonstrated improvements in PTSD symptoms when given MDMA-assisted therapy (p<0.05) and long-term analyses of studies demonstrated that effects of MDMA-assisted therapy were maintained for a minimum of 12 months post-intervention(p<0.05). Adverse effects were transient and mild to moderate, including anxiety, headache, fatigue, muscle tension, and insomnia. Conclusion: Extant data suggests that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD demonstrates significant symptom reduction, with sustained efficacy up to 12 months post-treatment. Functional unblinding is a major methodological challenge, which makes it difficult to interpret the magnitude of the effect MDMA has in the treatment of treatment-resistant PTSD. Future research should refine methodologies and explore long-term safety and efficacy in diverse populations.
Description
Keywords
MDMA , PTSD , Post-traumatic stress disorder , Psychotherapy , Treatment-resistant , Efficacy
Citation
Kodancha, M., Chahrour, H., Carey, C., Fazeli, H., Azadian, A. and Kajitani, S. H. (2025) 'Evaluating the efficacy and safety of MDMA for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: a systematic review', UCC Student Medical Journal, 5, pp.28-37. https://doi.org/10.33178/SMJ.2025.1.4