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Home/Research/MDMA/Palliative & End-of-Life Distress

MDMA for Palliative & End-of-Life Distress

23 papers and 3 clinical trials exploring mdma as a treatment for palliative & end-of-life distress.

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
IndicationApproximately 40% of patients with terminal illnesses report significant distress at the end of life.

Palliative & End-of-Life Distress

Palliative and end-of-life distress represents a significant psychosocial challenge faced by patients with life-limiting illnesses, significantly impacting quality of life. Recent research suggests that psychedelic compounds, particularly psilocybin, may offer promising therapeutic benefits in alleviating existential distress and improving psychological well-being in these patients.

Full Palliative & End-of-Life Distress profile

Academic Research

23 papers
Open Accessmeta

Psychedelic medicine: mechanisms, evidence, and translation to practice

This review (2026) summarises the rapidly growing evidence for psychedelic-assisted therapies, finding the strongest support for psilocybin in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and MDMA in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It also highlights that while these treatments are generally well tolerated in controlled settings, major challenges remain around unclear mechanisms, trial limitations, scalability, and translation into routine practice.

Published
February 23, 2026
Journal
BMJ
Authors
Jacobs, E., Zahid, Z., Hinkle, J., Nayak, S., Yaden, D. B.
Paywallmeta

Quality of reporting on psychological interventions in psychedelic treatments: a systematic review

This systematic review (s=45) on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for mental disorders finds that psychological interventions are reported with low completeness and high heterogeneity. It also finds that MDMA studies are more homogeneous, with greater procedural detail.

Published
December 9, 2024
Journal
Lancet
Authors
Seybert, C., Schimmers, N., Silva, L., Breeksema, J. J., Veraart, J. K. E., Bessa, B. S., d'Orsi, D., Schoevers, R. A., Dinis-Oliveira, R. J.
Paywallindividual

Set and setting predict psychopathology, wellbeing and meaningfulness of psychedelic experiences: a correlational study

This survey (n=1022) investigated the correlation between set and setting variables in psychedelic therapy with psychopathology, well-being, and personality. Findings suggest that growth motivations, natural settings, and the presence of significant others predict positive outcomes. In contrast, problematic motivations are associated with greater psychopathology and lower well-being.

Published
December 20, 2023
Journal
Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology
Authors
Borkel, L. F., Rojas-Hernández, J., Henríquez-Hernández, L. A., Del Pino, A. S., Quintana-Hernández, D. 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.
Paywallmeta

A rapid scoping review of harm reduction strategies for ecstasy (MDMA) users in recreational settings

This rapid scoping review maps a wide range of drug-specific, behavioural and peer-related harm-reduction strategies used by ecstasy (MDMA) users in recreational settings and shows users obtain guidance from diverse sources including friends, clubs and user-oriented websites. It also finds many user-facing websites lack evidence citations and that adherence to strategies varies with users' goals and experience, indicating a need for more effective, evidence-informed communication.

Published
October 21, 2022
Journal
Research Square
Authors
Edwards, D., Csontos, J., Pascoe, M. J., Westwell, A., Gillen, E., Bennett, C., Hannigan, B., Carrier, J., Harden, J.
Open Accessindividual

Facing death, returning to life: A qualitative analysis of MDMA-assisted therapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening illness

In an interpretative phenomenological analysis of participant narratives from a pilot phase 2 trial, MDMA-assisted therapy for anxiety related to life‑threatening illness was reported to facilitate processing of trauma and grief, evoke mystical/existential experiences and reduce physiological arousal, yielding improved coping, reduced psychological symptoms, greater vitality and a reconnection to life. These accounts suggest MDMA‑AT may bolster emotional resilience in the face of illness relapse, though trial limitations temper conclusions and indicate the need for further study.

Published
September 27, 2022
Journal
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Authors
Barone, W., Mitsunaga-Whitten, M., Blaustein, L. O., Perl, P., Swank, M., Swift, T. C.

Clinical Trials

3 trials
RecruitingPhase II

A double-blind, randomised trial of methylphenidate-assisted versus MDMA-assisted therapy for mood and anxiety symptoms in advanced-stage cancer patients

This double-blind, randomised, parallel Phase II trial (n=32) compares single-dose MDMA-assisted therapy (120 mg, optional 60 mg supplemental) versus methylphenidate-assisted therapy (20 mg, optional 10 mg supplemental) for depressive and anxiety symptoms in people with advanced-stage cancer.

Started
July 31, 2023
Type
interventional
Blinding
single
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
ACTRN12619001334190
CompletedPhase II

MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With a Life-threatening Illness

This Phase II pilot study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 18 participants comparing the effects of MDMA-assisted therapy vs. placebo with therapy.

Started
January 4, 2015
Type
interventional
Blinding
quadruple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT02427568
TerminatedPhase II

MDMA-assisted Therapy in People With Anxiety Related to Advanced Stage Cancer

Pilot randomised, triple-blind Phase II study testing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in people with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety; Stage 1 randomised (full vs low MDMA doses) with optional Stage 2 open-label extension.

Started
January 12, 2007
Type
interventional
Blinding
triple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT00252174

Explore further

Search all MDMA papers Search all Palliative & End-of-Life Distress trials Full MDMA profile Full Palliative & End-of-Life Distress profile