TDNet Discover

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is notoriously difficult for clinicians to treat effectively. PTSD symptoms have been found to improve in response to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) assisted psychotherapy and ketamine assisted psychotherapy. The aim of this research was to systematically review the current literature focusing on the use of hallucinogenic drugs during psychotherapy to treat PTSD. To conduct this, a detailed independent and research consensus evidence-based medicine review was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) databases. Studies were selected based upon inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality assessment. Once final studies were selected data extraction was performed for the qualitative analysis. Three studies were examined, including one systematic review and meta-analysis and two prospective clinical studies. This evidence demonstrated the NMDA antagonist ketamine and MDMA both have therapeutic effects and result in statistically significant clinical improvement in PTSD symptoms. Hallucinogenic drugs may be a valid and promising option for clinicians to pursue during the treatment of PTSD.