Want to offer MDMA therapy to soldiers with PTSD so they can defend their country for longer
The United States plans to test the treatment as a way of extending the length of time soldiers can remain in active service.
Soldiers who have taken part in war are highly vulnerable to PTSD and other mental health problems.(Stock photo: Shutterstock / NTB)
Queralt BaladaQueraltBaladajournalist
Published
Active-duty soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will receive MDMA-assisted therapy in two new studies, The Guardian reports.
The project is funded by the US Department of Defense to enable soldiers to remain in active service for longer.
MDMA, also known as the active ingredient in ecstasy, is a drug that increases levels of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline. These are neurotransmitters that produce feelings of increased happiness, self-confidence, and alertness.
The studies are expected to begin next year and will include 186 members of the military with PTSD undergoing MDMA-assisted therapy.
PTSD
When a person experiences a traumatic event, they often develop what psychologists call ‘crisis reactions’ afterwards.
Nightmares, intrusive and painful memories, thoughts, and feelings related to the event are common, according to an expert. Lassen explains that these symptoms often resolve on their own. However, some people develop long-lasting problems such as PTSD, anxiety, or depression.
If these crisis reactions last for more than six months, it can often be classified as PTSD, according to Helsenorge.
More MDMA studies are needed
Annonse
Tor-Morten Kvam is a psychiatrist, senior consultant at Østfold Hospital Trust, and a researcher studying MDMA-assisted treatment for depression. Although he is not involved in these studies, he commented on the planned research for Science Norway.
"It's very positive that more studies are being carried out on MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. We need more data before this therapy can be approved and made available," he says.
At the same time, he questions the idea of sending the soldiers back into combat after treatment. He says it's highly contradictory to treat people for trauma only to send them back into the environment that caused it.
Espen Rasmussen Lassen is a researcher and psychologist at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS) and the University of Oslo. He agrees that more robust clinical studies on MDMA-assisted treatment for PTSD are needed. He says the research has not yet progressed far enough to determine whether it is effective.
"We don't know yet. The studies are too small and have significant weaknesses," he says.
MDMA-assisted therapy
Regarding how MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD works, Kvam explains that it is designed to help patients process traumatic memories.
"One of MDMA's most important effects is that it helps people feel safe. That allows us to explore experiences that would normally be too painful or too shameful to confront. It strengthens the therapeutic relationship and also increases self-compassion, which is extremely valuable during therapy," he says.
Patients must confront memories that are often too overwhelming to face. These memories can evoke intense feelings of fear, shame, and guilt, the researcher explains.
A cast for the brain
Our bodies and brains naturally work to heal themselves. Kvam says this is also a key element of MDMA therapy. He compares the therapy and the drug to putting a cast on a broken bone.
"It's not the doctor who heals the broken bone. The doctor creates the right conditions for the body to heal itself. It's much the same here," he says.
He adds that the treatment helps people gain access material in the brain that would otherwise remain out of reach.
"It may be traumatic memories, or it may be other memories. The idea is that if people can tolerate going there, the memory itself can change. If they relive it in a safer, more neutral context and store it in a new way, it can become less overwhelming," says Kvam.
Annonse
He explains that MDMA-assisted therapy follows the same principles as conventional trauma therapy but may be easier for patients to endure.
"Although conventional trauma treatment is highly effective, many people simply can't tolerate it," he says.
There are several effective psychological treatments for PTSD, and one of the most widely used is cognitive therapy. Lassen explains that this approach also focuses heavily on changing memories and thoughts.
"In cognitive therapy for PTSD, we talk specifically about what happened before, during, and after the traumatic event. Part of the treatment involves processing the traumatic memories so that they become more distant," he says.
Therapy also targets deeply ingrained patterns of thinking.
"These can include thoughts such as 'the whole world is dangerous,' 'no one can be trusted,' or excessive feelings of guilt. The goal is to reduce the symptoms and ensure that the trauma has less impact on everyday life," he says.
Preventive treatment?
The article in The Guardian mentions the possibility of preventive treatment. In other words, soldiers could be prepared and treated in advance so they would be less likely to develop PTSD if they experienced trauma in the future.
Lassen says there is currently little scientific evidence to support this approach.
"Very little research has been conducted on this, and the findings have been mixed," he says.
Although the Norwegian researchers have reservations about the design of the American study, they agree that providing PTSD treatment for military personnel who have experienced combat is essential.
"There is a significant need to treat patients with PTSD, including veterans," says Kvam.
Veterans living with PTSD are a particularly vulnerable group. According to a study from Brown University, 7,052 soldiers were killed in combat between 2001 and 2021. During that same period, 30,177 soldiers and veterans died by suicide – more than four times as many deaths.
Both researchers therefore emphasise the importance of continuing to study new treatment options.
But is it wise to send them back to war zones?
"That's really the central question. Is this an appropriate setting? If these people are in the military and are expected to return to the front lines?" asks Kvam.
