About 80% of participants in a study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to treat soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced reduced symptoms, according to a recent Israeli study. Most of them no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD at the end of the treatment, it said.
MDMA, a synthetic psychoactive drug that acts as both a stimulant and a psychedelic and is commonly known as ecstasy, is being studied as a breakthrough therapy combined with talk therapy for PTSD and severe alcohol use.
It increases energy, pleasure, and emotional warmth but has significant health and safety risks. The US Food and Drug Administration has not approved MDMA as a medical treatment for any condition.
The study was conducted at Clalit Health Services’ Emek Medical Center in Afula. It evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the treatment, as the need for PTSD treatments in Israel is increasing.
PTSD diagnoses have increased by 70% since the October 7 massacre and the subsequent war, according to data from the Israeli healthcare system.
“About 15% of combat soldiers exposed to severe battlefield trauma may develop chronic PTSD,” said Ronen Sidi, a clinical psychologist and co-leader of the study.
Sidi, who was a soldier in the Duvdevan special forces, said individuals with PTSD are often “highly resilient, dedicated individuals who find it difficult to seek help or speak openly about fear, guilt, or helplessness.”
MDMA functions as a therapeutic tool, not treatment
Dr. Alon Reshef, director of psychiatry at Emek Medical Center and the principal investigator of the study, said the number of people coping with PTSD since the October 7 massacre has been enormous.
“Beyond the personal suffering experienced by these soldiers, PTSD has a profound impact on their families and on society as a whole,” he said.
Early intervention can have a major impact on recovery, Reshef said.
“When patients begin treatment within the first month to one year after the traumatic event, their chances of recovery are significantly better,” he said. “As more years pass, treatment becomes increasingly complex. Even so, meaningful breakthroughs are possible, even in chronic cases.”
MDMA may cause harm with unsupervised use, hospital warns
Both Sidi and Reshef said MDMA was a therapeutic tool used within the treatment but is not the treatment itself.
The full treatment consisted of 13 sessions of intensive psychotherapy with three monitored sessions, during which MDMA was administered under medical supervision. Two experienced therapists, including psychiatrists, psychologists, or social workers specially trained in trauma treatment, accompanied each patient during the session.
While under the influence of MDMA, patients are believed to be able to engage with traumatic memories while experiencing emotional regulation, trust, and psychological safety.
With MDMA, patients may be able to enter a therapeutic state that allows them to access and process emotions such as shame, guilt, and helplessness, some of the most challenging barriers to recovery, while under careful supervision, the study said.
Reshef and the hospital said MDMA is not a “miracle cure” or something that should be used without careful medical and psychological supervision, since unsupervised use might even cause more harm.
Candidates for the study underwent comprehensive medical and psychological screening, had strong family support, and ongoing professional supervision throughout the process. All of them were soldiers who had already undergone conventional PTSD treatments.
The hospital said that apart from authorized research, MDMA remains an illegal substance and should never be used for self-treatment. Under careful medical supervision and within a structured clinical research protocol, however, patients may receive potentially life-changing treatment, it said.
“We meet courageous soldiers, remarkable individuals who have endured years of suffering,” Reshef said. “Our goal is to offer them a genuine opportunity to rebuild their lives through rigorous scientific research, professional care, and comprehensive support throughout the entire process.”