“Partying” Hard: Party Style, Motives for and Effects of MDMA Use at Rave Parties

Abstract

This study examines motives for and consequences of MDMA use at different types of dance parties in the Netherlands (2001 and 2002). Participants were 490 visitors of three different types of rave parties, “club/mellow,” “trance/mainstream,” and “hardcore” (34% female, mean age 22.3 years, 76.5% MDMA users). Partygoers are motivated primarily by the energetic and euphoric effects they expect from MDMA. Quantity of MDMA use is associated with hardcore and trance/mainstream party style, with the motives of euphoria, sexiness, self-insight, and sociability/flirtatiousness (negative), and with gender, educational level (negative), and MDMA use by friends. Women report more (acute) negative effects—depression, confusion, loss of control, suspiciousness, edginess, nausea, dizziness—than men; and in particular, women who are motivated to cope with their problems by using MDMA are at risk. Men's polydrug use and notably their motivation to conform to friends by using MDMA are associated with negative effects.

Keywords:

• MDMA
• youth culture
• drug use
• house party
• party setting
• rave
• ravers

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tom F. M. Ter Bogt

Tom ter Bogt, cultural psychologist, is an associate professor at the University of Amsterdam. He obtained his Ph.D. with a thesis on the history of protestant work ethic in the Netherlands and work ethic among present-day adolescents. He is author of three books on youth, youth culture, and pop music and has written a television series on Dutch youth culture, and pop music. Research interests: pop music, youth culture, work ethic, political attitudes, MDMA use, and rave culture.

Rutger C. M. E. Engels

Rutger Engels is a professor and director at the Institute for Family and Child Care Studies, University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He obtained his Ph.D. at the Department of Medical Sociology, Maastricht University in 1998. Since then he has worked for three years as a post-doc and assistant professor at the Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University. Currently, he is involved in research on smoking, drinking, delinquency and drug use of adolescents, peer and parental factors, and depression.