The study is about the experience of seven patients with posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) who were enrolled in Phase-II clinical trials aimed at determining the safety and efficacy of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (Godes & Vermetten, 2023). The researchers designed and conducted the study to complement and clarify quantitative research findings assessing the clinical utility of MDMA in the management of posttraumatic stress disorder (Godes & Vermetten, 2023). Also, the researchers aimed to increase the knowledge derived from qualitative studies about the experience of clinical trial participants in the MDMA efficacy and safety studies in managing PTSD. The problem that the research sought to resolve is the inability of quantitative analysis “to provide a deeper phenomenological understanding of the treatment process” in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (Godes & Vermetten, 2023, p. 02). Further, the study sought to enumerate all benefits that could be missed with quantitative research when it is used to assess the results of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy during the phase-II clinical trials about the relief of symptoms of PTSD among the participants. Lastly, the study addressed the gaps in the literature by being the first qualitative study to address MDMA clinical trial participants’ change experience and trauma processing experience after being involved in the study.
The researchers employed an interpretive phenomenological analysis study design to achieve the study’s objectives. The sample population used in the research were seven MDMA phase 2 clinical trial participants, chosen through stratified sampling, whose typical MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AP) sessions were recorded and transcribed as the data collection method utilized by the researchers. Each participant was subjected to a six to eight-hour-long recorded treatment event comprising fifteen sessions divided over twelve weeks (Godes et al., 2023). The treatment was according to the standards stipulated in the ‘Manual for MDMA-AP for treating posttraumatic stress disorder’ (Godes & Vermetten, 2023, p. 02). The researchers developed three experiments that differed on the dose of MDMA that was given to the study participants. After the treatment sessions, three integrative meetings were held whose proceedings were recorded and transcribed to provide the participant’s experience with the therapy received and their experience handling trauma after the treatment events.
The researcher demonstrated several benefits of MDMA-AP based on a thematic analysis of the study participants’ reported trauma experience after treatment with MDMA-AP. The highlighted benefits included the ability to tolerate conflict by making inquiries into the root cause of specific emotions and demonstrating “diminished reactivity and engagement with aversive thought, memories, and daily encounters” (Godes & Vermetten, 2023, p. 05). Also, in processing trauma, the participants depicted positive influences of MDMA-AP, such as developing insight about their trauma through reflection on the origins of the trauma and behavior in response to the traumatic content (Godes & Vermetten, 2023). Further, the participants gained the ability to put complex emotions into words, which was not possible before the MDMA-AP treatment.
Therefore, based on the research’s findings, the researchers concluded that MDMA-AP opens up PTSD patients to engage in psychological processes that lead to benefits such as relief of their symptoms. The researchers pose MDMA as assuming a mediator effect in the treatment of PTSD, given the observed benefits of MDMA-AP. The listed benefits of the treatment option include the fact that the patients gain helpful skills that they could employ in their everyday lives to attain comfort, develop positive emotions, and better interpersonal relationships that could help them cope with their trauma and enjoy improved quality of life (Godes & Vermetten, 2023, 2023). The major shortcoming of the research was that the participants were not allowed adequate time to process the internal experiential changes that occurred during the treatment sessions. The integrative meetings were held too soon after treatment sessions, negatively influencing the participants’ ability to articulate their experiences with the treatment (Godes & Vermetten, 2023). Therefore, the researchers suggest prolonging the treatment evaluation lead time to allow the participants adequate time to process their change experience with the treatment. The following information depicts how this study uses the phenomenological approach.
The research employed an overall interpretive phenomenological analysis as the research design of choice. The research design was informed by the methods used by the researchers, which demonstrated phenomenological components. The phenomenological components of the data collection and analysis process included the following:
- Recording and transcription of treatment sessions attended by the study participants.
- The identification of significant phrases or passages from the participants’ descriptions of their experience and benefits of the treatment.
- Formulating meanings from the participant’s narratives and reorganizing these identified evidence into themes answering the research questions. This process was achieved through thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected.
- The development of the results section in a manner that provides an in-depth and comprehensive description of the phenomenon, including supporting evidence from the participant’s description and overall comments about their experience with MDMA-AP.
The discussion outlined in the article attempted to develop a correlation between the major themes and subthemes identified from the participants’ narratives of their experience with the therapy. The researchers first categorized the themes into process, outcome, and growth to demonstrate a correlation between the themes identified in the results section. An example is the demonstration of how psychological process themes such as tolerance to conflict and processing trauma could lead to outcome themes such as positive emotions and the development of quality interpersonal relationships (Godes & Vermetten, 2023). The allusion to correlation in the themes identified by the study supports the ability to transform the study findings into a theoretical framework that would support the therapeutic work with MDMA-AP in similar categories of patients with similar expected outcomes. The inclination towards a correlational underpinning of the research findings demonstrates an extension of the phenomenological approach in the study to advanced research methodologies that are more seen with quantitative research methodology.
The study demonstrated crucial aspects of a phenomenological study as described by Creswell and Poth (2018) in their textbook, providing an in-depth analysis of the qualitative research designs and how to choose between five of the well-recognized qualitative research designs. The features of the phenomenological study demonstrated in the articles according to textbook description are as follows:
- The articles’ introduction correctly described the phenomenon that the study was investigated using the interpretive phenomenological approach. Focusing on the phenomenon provided vital background information that built the case of why the research on that topic was essential.
- The researchers correctly reported on the rationale for conducting the study, including the need to address the shortcomings of qualitative studies that failed to identify the benefits of MDMA-AP treatments among patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. The data procedures were well articulated, fostering study replicability.
- The researchers reported how the phenomenon was experienced using factual statements from the study participants. The meaning of these statements was deduced using thematic analysis, and their meaning was discussed further to derive a correlation or the relationship between the identified themes and subthemes.
- The researchers were able to develop study implications or the essence of the experience by demonstrating potential applicability in guiding MDMA-AP treatment in patients with posttraumatic stress disorders in real life.
- On methodology, the article correctly identifies phenomenological study design as the qualitative study design of choice, giving expert recommendations on using phenomenological studies to describe lived experiences.
- In the unit of analysis, like phenomenological study best practices, the article utilized several individuals who have shared an experience, such as participants in the MDMA-AR clinical trials, to derive relevant data that would answer the research questions.
- The study derived or drew its major theoretical underpinnings from psychology, one of the fields of study and practice identified by Creswell and Poth (2018) as the disciplines of origins for phenomenological studies.
- Regarding data collection, like phenomenological study characteristics identified by Creswell and Poth (2018), the research utilized interviews with individuals as one of the data collection techniques.
- Data analysis proceeded using the identification and discussion of significant statements, derivation of meaning from the identified significant statements, and the description of the phenomenon’s impact on the study subjects’ lives.
Overall, the article provides a crucial resource to be consulted when developing research using the phenomenological study design approach. As a crucial case study, the article demonstrated the appropriate data collection and analysis techniques for contemplating a phenomenological study. It provided an excellent qualitative research outline and organization of thought in the research paper that can be emulated in developing a phenomenological-inclined qualitative research study. The key takeaway message about phenomenological study design is that it is best suited to study the lived experiences of the target population. The study utilizes interviews as the primary data collection method among individuals who have shared a similar lived experience. The data collected is best analyzed through the identification and discussion of participants, providing significant statements from which themes and subthemes about the data are developed to answer the research questions and meet study objectives. Regarding research article organization, the introduction section is dedicated to defining the phenomenon in the study and establishing the essence of the lived experience. Finally, providing a comprehensive narrative describing the data collection procedures is crucial to ensuring the study’s replicability, a vital aspect of quality research processes.
References
Creswell, W. J., & Poth, N. C. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Godes, M., Luca, J., & Vermetten, E. (2023). Perceive key change phenomena of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of severe PTSD: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of clinical integration sessions. Frontiers in Psychology, 14(957824), 01-09. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.957824
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