title: Psychosocial profiles of older adolescent MDMA users.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using a case-control design, patterns of drug use, psychological symptoms, and behavioral characteristics associated with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA ) use were surveyed in a sample of older adolescents (median age 20).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred (42 MDMA users; 58 non-MDMA users) older adolescents were recruited using the "snowball" technique and interviewed regarding their use of MDMA and other drugs. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT), the HIV/sexually transmitted diseases (STD) risk scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) were also administered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MDMA users were more likely to use other substances, endorse more symptoms of psychological distress, and had more problems in functional lifestyle areas. They also reported more childhood experiences of physical abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect than non-MDMA users. MDMA users also reported more sexually risky behaviors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occasional MDMA use among older adolescents was associated with polydrug use, multiple social difficulties, psychological symptoms, and health risk behaviors. Further research is warranted to understand the long term psychosocial consequences of chronic MDMA and polydrug usage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. lynn.singer@cwru.edu
authors.forename: Lynn T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Teresa J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.forename: Shana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ntiri
authors.forename: Racquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minnes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine