One potential anxiety-reducing treatment application of MDMA-assisted therapy was noted in a 2016 report commenting on the compound’s promise in addressing social anxiety1 in autistic adults2 . The publication indicated a high need for new therapies given few to no effective current treatments for social anxiety in this population. The study noted that, “To date, MDMA has been administered to over 1,133 individuals for research purposes without the occurrence of unexpected drug-related SAEs [serious adverse events] that require expedited reporting per FDA regulations. Now that safety parameters for limited use of MDMA in clinical settings have been established, a case can be made to further develop MDMA-assisted therapeutic interventions that could support autistic adults in increasing social adaptability among the typically developing population.”
A related randomized pilot trial was launched in 2014 and concluded in 2017. This study included 12 autistic adults “with marked to very severe social anxiety” who received either MDMA or placebo during two eight-hour psychotherapy sessions, followed by three non-MDMA sessions3 . Researchers measured participants’ anxiety using Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale at one month and six months, reporting significant improvement at one month. These results remained stable or continued to improve slightly for most participants at six months.
