A qualitative study into the protective factors of non-MDMA users who attend trance parties in South Africa

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) usage is synonymous with trance culture. Qualitative focus groups were conducted with eight young adults who attended trance parties but did not consume MDMA in order to explore protective factors that prevented participants from consuming MDMA. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed, using thematic analysis. Five main themes emerged from the analysis. These themes were named as follows: knowledge and beliefs relating to MDMA, fear of losing control, fear of sexual contact, learning from others who have consumed MDMA and self-preservation. Participants overwhelmingly stated that one of the main reasons they did not use MDMA was because it was chemical in nature. However, participants admitted to using cannabis and mushrooms and rationalised this by stating that they were natural. The researchers had difficulty in attaining participants for this study as few people attend trance parties and abstain from using MDMA.