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Home/Research/MDMA/Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

MDMA for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

5 papers and 2 clinical trials exploring mdma as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd).

Compoundempathogen

MDMA

MDMA is a synthetic empathogen that enhances monoamine release, producing prosocial and anxiolytic effects without frank hallucinosis. Two Phase III trials demonstrated significant PTSD symptom reductions, though FDA review raised concerns about blinding, durability, and safety characterisation.

Full MDMA profile
IndicationAbout 1-2% of the population worldwide.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Recent research indicates that psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, are emerging as potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Early clinical trials demonstrate promising results regarding their efficacy and safety, paving the way for future studies in this field.

Full Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) profile

Academic Research

5 papers
Open Accessindividual

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for AUD: Bayesian analysis of WHO drinking risk level and exploratory analysis of drinking behavior and psychosocial functioning at 3 months follow-up

In an open‑label feasibility study of 14 recently detoxified participants, Bayesian analysis estimated a 55–63% probability that MDMA‑assisted psychotherapy produced a two‑level reduction in WHO drinking‑risk at 3‑month follow‑up, with preliminary reductions in alcohol craving and improvements in sleep and psychosocial functioning. The paper frames a harm‑reduction endpoint for AUD and provides early evidence that MDMA‑assisted psychotherapy may improve quality of life alongside reduced drinking.

Published
June 9, 2025
Journal
Alcohol and Alcoholism
Authors
Thurgur, H., Sessa, B., Higbed, L., O'brien, S., Durant, C., Wilson, S., Szigeti, B., Morgan, C. J. A., Nutt, D. J.
Open Accessmeta

Dosing and Therapeutic Conduct in Administration Sessions in Substance-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Systematized Review

This systematised review of 82 sources synthesised published guidance on substances, dosages, session structure, music and in-session therapeutic conduct for administration sessions with serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens. It concludes that evidence is largely anecdotal and non-rigorous, leaving essential components of therapeutic interventions tentative and in need of systematic empirical investigation.

Published
May 3, 2023
Journal
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
Authors
Thal, S. B., Wieberneit, M., Sharbanee, J. M., Skeffington, P. M., Bruno, R., Wenge, T., Bright, S. J.
Open Accessindividual

Hopelessness, Suicidality, and Co-Occurring Substance Use among Adolescent Hallucinogen Users-A National Survey Study

Analysing nationally representative YRBSS data from 2001–2019 (125,550 students), 8.4% of adolescents reported lifetime hallucinogen use, declining from 13.3% to 7.0% over the period. Hallucinogen users had significantly higher odds of feeling sad or hopeless, suicidal ideation and planning, and markedly greater co‑occurring use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other illicit drugs.

Published
December 5, 2022
Journal
Children
Authors
Desai, S., Jain, V., Xavier, S., Du, W.
Paywallindividual

Acute subjective effects in LSD- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy

In a Swiss compassionate-use programme of 18 patients (mainly with PTSD and major depression), LSD (100–200 µg) and MDMA (100–175 mg) administered in group psychotherapy produced pronounced alterations of consciousness and increases across mystical-experience scales on the 5D-ASC and MEQ. Acute subjective responses were largely comparable to those seen in healthy volunteers and clinical-trial patients, supporting further controlled studies of substance-assisted psychotherapy.

Published
October 8, 2020
Journal
Journal of Psychopharmacology
Authors
Schmid, Y., Gasser, P., Oehen, P., Liechti, M. E.
Paywallmeta

The Emerging Role of Psilocybin and MDMA in the Treatment of Mental Illness

This narrative review (2020) evaluates the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and MDMA for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety. The review explains the need for effective mental health treatments and highlights the lack of dose-response studies in placebo-controlled settings with a real-world clinical population.

Published
September 21, 2020
Journal
Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
Authors
Gill, H., Gill, B., Chen-Li, D., El-Halabi, S., Rodrigues, N. B., Cha, D. S., Lipsitz, O., Lee, Y., Rosenblat, J. D., Majeed, A., Mansur, R. B., Nasri, F., Ho, R., Mcintyre, R. S.

Clinical Trials

2 trials
RecruitingPhase II

MDMA-Assisted CBT for OCD (MDMA-CBT4OCD Study) (MDMA-CBT4OCD)

This PhaseII interventional trial (n=40), titled “MDMA-Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Compared With Methamphetamine-Assisted CBT in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Phase II Study,” aims to assess the safety and preliminary effectiveness of MDMA-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy in participants diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Started
December 1, 2023
Type
interventional
Blinding
quadruple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT05783817
Not yet recruitingPhase II

Developing Optimal Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

This interventional randomised, blinded, parallel Phase II trial (n=40) compares MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (3 × 100 mg oral sessions) to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (3 × 25 mg oral sessions) for treatment-resistant OCD, with preparatory and integration therapy.

Started
August 1, 2023
Type
interventional
Blinding
single
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
ACTRN12622001525774

Explore further

Search all MDMA papers Search all Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) trials Full MDMA profile Full Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) profile