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2 papers
Research about using MDMA to treat depression is still early. Most studies so far have tested MDMA in therapy for people with post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and looked at depression as a secondary problem. Reviews and small trials report promising short‑term improvements in mood, but these findings come from a small number of tightly controlled studies and often from people with trauma rather than people diagnosed only with major depression (15135, 15063, 15086, 15091). Scientists agree that MDMA is given together with careful psychotherapy, preparation, and follow‑up. That combination seems important for safety and for the benefits seen so far, but we do not yet know how much of the effect comes from the drug itself versus the surrounding therapy and setting. Big questions remain about whether MDMA would work well for people whose main problem is depression, how long benefits last, what the long‑term risks are, and how treatments work in diverse groups (15065, 15078, 15095, 15129).
This review describes a rapid rise in medical research on psychedelic drugs over the past five years. Several later-stage clinical trials have been published, and many different drugs — including psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, ayahuasca, and ibogaine — are being tested for conditions such as depression, post‑traumatic stress, addiction, obsessive‑compulsive…
Researchers reviewed the fast-growing interest in psychedelic therapies. They found that even though hundreds of studies are under way, no psychedelic medicine is officially approved for any mental health condition yet. The review explains the kinds of drugs being tested, the conditions people hope to treat, and big challenges such…
