Three-day blues after ecstasy/MDMA use: Evidence from a longitudinal and daily analysis in the European nightlife scene
Blankers,Matthijs van Beek,Ruben Spronk,Desirée Den Hollander,Wouter Andree,Rosa Freeman,Tom P. Grabski,Meryem Curran,H. Valerie Waldron,Jon van Laar,Margriet W.
Blankers,Matthijs
van Beek,Ruben
Spronk,Desirée
Den Hollander,Wouter
Andree,Rosa
Freeman,Tom P.
Grabski,Meryem
Curran,H. Valerie
Waldron,Jon
van Laar,Margriet W.
Abstract
Background: There is a lack of understanding of the nature of the post-acute affective response in the days after ecstasy/3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use and whether this is associated with ecstasy/MDMA use or circumstantial factors. In the three days following ecstasy/MDMA use, we evaluated whether a drop in mental well-being is observed and can be related to ecstasy use. Methods: Data for this study were obtained from a longitudinal and momentary analysis in the European nightlife scene (ALAMA study). Using ecological daily assessment, participants were asked to complete a daily 3-minute questionnaire for 35 days. Young adults (age 18–34) from the United Kingdom (n = 120) and the Netherlands (n = 124) who use ecstasy/MDMA were recruited in the nightlife scene and using social media campaigns. Substance use, psychological well-being and pathology, sleep quality, harm reduction behaviours, and socio-demographics data were collected digitally through a smartphone app. Results: Participants reported on average a significant drop in mental well-being in the three days following ecstasy/MDMA use (B=-0.14, SE=0.04, p < .001) even when accounting for other substance use, socio-demographics, applied harm reduction strategies, measures of depression, anxiety and sleep quality. For commonly used substances other than ecstasy/MDMA and cocaine, no significant associations with mental well-being in the three days following their use were found. Conclusions: A drop in mental well-being in the three days following ecstasy/MDMA use was associated with ecstasy/MDMA use, in addition to other factors such as (co-)use of other substances, especially cocaine, sleep duration and quality in the days following use, and baseline levels of depression and anxiety.
Description
Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
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Journal Issue
Keywords
Ecstasy, MDMA, Mood, Anxiety, Ecological momentary assessment, Ecological daily assessment, Nightlife
Citation
Blankers, M, van Beek, R, Spronk, D, Den Hollander, W, Andree, R, Freeman, T P, Grabski, M, Curran, H V, Waldron, J & van Laar, M W 2025, 'Three-day blues after ecstasy/MDMA use : Evidence from a longitudinal and daily analysis in the European nightlife scene', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 276, e112881. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112881
License
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess