MDMA-assisted therapy combined with exposure treatment for people with both PTSD and alcohol use disorder: study plan for a double-blind outpatient trial

The MDMA-assisted PTSD and Alcohol Therapy Trial aims to assess the therapeutic and cost-effectiveness of combining MDMA with standard treatments for comorbid PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

• Clinically significant improvements are observed in only approximately half of participants receiving standard treatments for comorbid PTSD and alcohol use disorder.
• Adjunctive pharmacotherapies, such as MDMA, may enhance the effectiveness of existing interventions.
• The study will compare outcomes from MDMA-assisted integrated exposure therapy with those from an active control group receiving integrated exposure therapy.
• The focus is on improving treatment outcomes specifically for individuals with both PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

Simplified