Research library / Clinical trial

Reduction in social anxiety after MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with autistic adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study

Danforth AL, Grob CS, Struble C, et al. Psychopharmacology 2018;235(11):3137-3148

This pilot trial asked whether MDMA-assisted psychotherapy could ease social anxiety in autistic adults, a group for whom standard treatments often help little. Twelve autistic adults with marked to very severe social anxiety were randomly assigned to MDMA (75 to 125 mg) or an inactive placebo, given in two day-long therapy sessions about a month apart, with talking-therapy sessions in between. Neither participants nor therapists knew who received which. One month after the second session, social anxiety scores had dropped more in the MDMA group, and the gap remained at six months. The effect sizes were large, but with eight people on MDMA and four on placebo the estimates are very uncertain. The study shows the approach is feasible in this population and supports larger trials; it cannot establish that it works.