Perceived long-term effects of MDMA (Ecstasy)

Abstract

Background. Previous research has focused largely on risks associated with non-clinical (‘recreational’) MDMA use. Potential benefits produced through MDMA-assisted psychotherapy raise the question whether recreational users might report some positive long-term effects of MDMA use. Aim. 1) To assess the perceptions of recreational MDMA users regarding a wide range of both positive and negative long-term effects of MDMA use. 2) To generate a large data set including other correlates of interest to highlight targets for future research. Methods. Eight-hundred and eighty-six MDMA users responded to an online questionnaire, covering perceived long-term effects, acute and subacute effects, use motivations, contexts of use, and polydrug use. We present descriptive results for motivations, acute, subacute, and long-term effects, and exploratory relationships between long-term effects and these variables. Results. User perceptions of MDMA’s long-term effects were far more positive than negative, with a positive overarching perspective on having used MDMA and endorsement of several more specific effects. Negative/unpleasant acute and subacute effects of MDMA use were positively related to negative long-term effects. Positive/pleasant acute and subacute effects were positively related to positive long-term effects. User motivations were also significantly associated with perceived long-term effects. A minority of users reported negative effects (e.g., on concentration/memory and mood), which should not be ignored. Conclusions. Factors beyond the anticipation of a short-term high likely play into many users’ decisions to use MDMA. A nuanced understanding of user perceptions can inform drug safety communication, our understanding of drug effects, and drug policy.

Topics & conditions

Detected automatically by Psychedelic Commons from the title and abstract, not labels from the source. They may be incomplete.

Keywords