Psychiatric Aspects Of MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine): The 'Diathesis-Stress' Explanatory Model

Abstract

The first individual case studies were published around 1990-1994, soon after MDMA was used for recreational purposes. In a comprehensive review of this case study literature, around one third of individuals had premorbid problems, while most cases did not have prior vulnerability factors [3]. Larger population surveys have found that recreational Ecstasy use is associated with significantly raised levels of depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, agoraphobia, and paranoid psychosis [4-10]. The occurrence of these problems is associated with lifetime Ecstasy/MDMA usage [4, 5]. Furthermore, around 70% of recreational users report improved psychiatric wellbeing, after quitting ecstasy [6]. Other functional problems in