AFULA, Israel โ An Israeli clinical trial investigating MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder has reported encouraging preliminary findings, with approximately 80 percent of participants who completed treatment experiencing a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms, according to Clalit Health’s HaEmek Medical Center.
The hospital said most of those participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD following treatment.
The research is being conducted at HaEmek Medical Center’s Center for Psychedelic Treatment and Research under the direction of Dr. Alon Reshef, director of psychiatry at the hospital and principal investigator of the study.
Researchers stressed that the findings are preliminary and that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy remains experimental.
The treatment is not approved for routine clinical use in Israel or the United States. At HaEmek, it is being administered only to carefully screened participants within a controlled clinical research protocol.
Hospital officials also cautioned strongly against interpreting the early findings as support for independent or recreational MDMA use.
Addressing PTSD Among Israeli Soldiers
The study comes as Israel’s health system confronts the psychological consequences of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led terrorist attacks and the war that followed.
According to figures cited by HaEmek Medical Center, PTSD diagnoses have increased by approximately 70 percent in recent years, with the increase particularly pronounced since Oct. 7.
“The number of people coping with post-traumatic stress since October 7 is enormous,” Reshef said. “Beyond the personal suffering experienced by these soldiers, PTSD has a profound impact on their families and on society as a whole.”
The hospital said early intervention can substantially affect a patient’s prospects for recovery.
“When patients begin treatment within the first month to one year after the traumatic event, their chances of recovery are significantly better,” Reshef said. “As more years pass, treatment becomes increasingly complex. Even so, meaningful breakthroughs are possible, even in chronic cases.”
Clinical psychologist Ronen Sidi, a former soldier in the IDF’s elite Duvdevan Unit and a co-leader of the study, said approximately 15 percent of combat soldiers exposed to traumatic battlefield experiences may develop chronic PTSD.
“These are often highly resilient, dedicated individuals who find it difficult to seek help or speak openly about fear, guilt, or helplessness,” Sidi said.
“The goal of treatment is not to erase traumatic memories, but to help patients safely process them.”
A 13-Session Treatment Protocol
The experimental treatment involves considerably more than administering MDMA.
Participants undergo a structured 13-session protocol incorporating preparatory psychotherapy, three supervised sessions involving MDMA, and additional therapeutic work designed to help patients process their experiences.
During each MDMA session, patients are accompanied by two experienced therapists. The treatment teams can include psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers who have received specialized training in trauma care.
Sidi said researchers view MDMA as a tool that can temporarily create what clinicians describe as a “window of opportunity.”
During that period, patients may be better able to engage with traumatic memories while experiencing increased emotional regulation, trust and psychological safety.
That can potentially allow patients to address feelings such as guilt, shame and helplessness that may be difficult to confront through conventional psychotherapy.
Researchers emphasized that the psychotherapy, rather than the drug alone, is central to the experimental approach.
Early Findings Show Significant Improvement
According to HaEmek Medical Center, approximately 80 percent of soldiers who completed the protocol experienced a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms.
The hospital said a majority no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD after completing treatment.
The results are preliminary, however, and should not be interpreted as establishing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a proven or generally available treatment.
“It is important to understand that MDMA is not the treatment,” Reshef said. “This is an intensive psychotherapeutic process in which MDMA serves as a therapeutic tool that facilitates the work.”
“It is not a miracle cure, nor is it something that should ever be used independently,” he added. “On the contrary, unsupervised use may be ineffective and could even be harmful.”
Strict Screening and Medical Supervision
Participation in the HaEmek study is restricted to soldiers who have already undergone conventional treatment for PTSD and satisfy the trial’s eligibility requirements.
Candidates undergo medical and psychological evaluation before being admitted to the program. Researchers also consider the support available to participants outside the clinical setting, including family support.
The hospital emphasized that MDMA remains illegal outside authorized research settings and warned against attempts to replicate the experimental therapy without professional supervision.
That distinction is particularly important as public interest in psychedelic-assisted mental health treatments grows internationally.
The HaEmek research is examining a highly structured intervention involving trained clinicians, controlled dosing, screening, preparation and subsequent psychotherapy. It is not studying unsupervised MDMA consumption.
Searching for New Options After October 7
For Israel, the research has taken on additional significance because of the scale of psychological trauma associated with the Oct. 7 massacre and prolonged war.
Thousands of Israelis have experienced combat, terrorism, bereavement, displacement and other potentially traumatic events. Soldiers and reservists have also faced repeated deployments and extended exposure to combat.
Researchers hope the HaEmek study will help determine whether MDMA-assisted psychotherapy could eventually provide another option for some people whose PTSD has not responded adequately to existing treatments.
“We meet courageous soldiers, remarkable individuals who have endured years of suffering,” Reshef said.
“Our goal is to offer them a genuine opportunity to rebuild their lives through rigorous scientific research, professional care, and comprehensive support throughout the entire process.”
