BACKGROUND: The recreational drug MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or 'Ecstasy' is associated with heightened psychiatric distress and feelings of depression. The Drugs and Infancy Study (DAISY) monitored the psychiatric symptom profiles of mothers who used Ecstasy/MDMA while pregnant, and followed them over the first year post-partum. METHODS: We compared 28 young women whom took MDMA during their pregnancy with a polydrug control group of 68 women who took other psychoactive drugs while pregnant. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was completed for several periods: The first trimester of pregnancy; and 1, 4 and 12 months after childbirth. Recreational drug use was monitored at each time point. RESULTS: During the first trimester of pregnancy, MDMA-using mothers reported higher depression scores than the polydrug controls. At 1 year after childbirth, their BSI depression scores were significantly lower, now closer to the control group values. At the same time point, their self-reported use of MDMA became nearly zero, in contrast to their continued use of Cannabis/marijuana, nicotine and alcohol. We found significant symptom reductions in those with BSI obsessive-compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity, following Ecstasy/MDMA cessation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this unique prospective study of young recreational drug-using mothers are consistent with previous reports of improved psychiatric health after quitting MDMA.
BACKGROUND: The recreational drug MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or 'Ecstasy' is associated with heightened psychiatric distress and feelings of depression. The Drugs and Infancy Study (DAISY) monitored the psychiatric symptom profiles of mothers who used Ecstasy/MDMA while pregnant, and followed them over the first year post-partum. METHODS: We compared 28 young women whom took MDMA during their pregnancy with a polydrug control group of 68 women who took other psychoactive drugs while pregnant. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was completed for several periods: The first trimester of pregnancy; and 1, 4 and 12 months after childbirth. Recreational drug use was monitored at each time point. RESULTS: During the first trimester of pregnancy, MDMA-using mothers reported higher depression scores than the polydrug controls. At 1 year after childbirth, their BSI depression scores were significantly lower, now closer to the control group values. At the same time point, their self-reported use of MDMA became nearly zero, in contrast to their continued use of Cannabis/marijuana, nicotine and alcohol. We found significant symptom reductions in those with BSI obsessive-compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity, following Ecstasy/MDMA cessation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this unique prospective study of young recreational drug-using mothers are consistent with previous reports of improved psychiatric health after quitting MDMA.
Authors: Andrew C Parrott; Amy Gibbs; Andrew B Scholey; Rebecca King; Katherine Owens; Phil Swann; Ed Ogden; Con Stough Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2011-02-12 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Derek G Moore; John D Turner; Andrew C Parrott; Julia E Goodwin; Sarah E Fulton; Meeyoung O Min; Helen C Fox; Fleur M B Braddick; Emma L Axelsson; Stephanie Lynch; Helena Ribeiro; Caroline J Frostick; Lynn T Singer Journal: J Psychopharmacol Date: 2009-11-25 Impact factor: 4.153
Authors: Lynn T Singer; Derek G Moore; Meeyoung O Min; Julia Goodwin; John J D Turner; Sarah Fulton; Andrew C Parrott Journal: Hum Psychopharmacol Date: 2015-07 Impact factor: 1.672
Authors: Lynn T Singer; Derek G Moore; Meeyoung O Min; Julia Goodwin; John J D Turner; Sarah Fulton; Andrew C Parrott Journal: Neurotoxicol Teratol Date: 2016-01-21 Impact factor: 3.763