In a controlled study, individuals with and without a predisposition to depression either took MDMA or abstained in a social setting. The participants with a predisposition to depression that took MDMA showed a statistically significant decrease in depressive symptoms1.
One of the earlier studies on MDMA in humans included 29 participants with various levels of psychological distress or mental disorders2. The participant’s subjective reports were analyzed and follow-ups took place between two months and two years after the treatment. Of the participants, eight had Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) diagnoses—including depressive disorders (four), anxiety disorder (one), and personality disorders (three). Following MDMA treatment, all eight reported “significant relief from their problems” with two reporting lasting remission.
This study’s overall findings were generally positive with a majority of the 29 participants noting positive changes in mood (18), attitude (23), beliefs about self/others/world (16), relationships (28), occupation (16), and life goals (15). Almost half of the participants noted positive changes in practices of spiritual or physical well-being, (14) self-actualization (13), and substance use reduction (14).