Ketamine for Adolescent Depression
February 28, 2023 DOI: 10.64239/pi-capst0804
Summary
Ketamine therapies can provide rapid relief from depression and have an antisuicidal effect, which is important for adolescents with treatment-resistant depression. In a randomized, double-blind study involving adolescents with severe major depression, ketamine demonstrated a strong effect size for reducing depressive symptoms within 24 hours after infusion. However, there is limited research on ketamine's use in this population.
Study at a glance
| Design | randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Population | adolescents with severe major depression |
| Key finding | Ketamine had a strong effect size for reducing depressive symptoms 24 hours after infusion. |
Abstract
Ketamine therapies can offer rapid relief of depression and an antisuicidal effect, making them of particular interest for adolescents with treatment-resistant depression. In 1 randomized, double-blind study of adolescents with severe major depression, ketamine had a strong effect size for reducing depressive symptoms 24 hours after infusion. Currently, there is minimal investigation and few studies on the use of ketamine in treatment-resistant adolescents with depression.