Psychotherapy and psychosomatics
June 19, 2026
Judith Rohde, Tyler M Moore, Kathryn Walker et al.
A systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis of 12 studies (533 participants) found that higher baseline PTSD severity was the most robust predictor of symptom reduction after combined ketamine and psychotherapy. More psychotherapy sessions, more ketamine sessions, and shorter treatment duration were also associated with greater improvement, but these findings are tentative because most studies were of poor quality. The analysis showed that for each additional psychotherapy session, PTSD symptoms improved by an average of 1.03 points on the PCL-5, and for each additional ketamine session, improvement was 1.15 points. The results require confirmation in well-designed prospective trials.
Journal of medical Internet research
June 17, 2026
Acacia C Parks, Amanda L Woodward, Robert D Henry et al.
A large analysis of 3,870 patients with moderate-to-severe depression, anxiety, or PTSD who used a telehealth program for at-home subcutaneous ketamine found significant symptom reductions after about six weeks. Depression scores on the PHQ-9 fell from 14.6 to 6.3, anxiety scores on the GAD-7 from 13.1 to 6.1, and PTSD scores on the PCL-5 from 46.7 to 27.5, all with large effect sizes. Over 80% of patients achieved a clinically meaningful improvement. Adverse events were low (2.8%-3.2%), and no serious complications occurred. The results suggest that supervised at-home subcutaneous ketamine is a safe and effective option that could expand access to rapid-acting treatment.
Scientific Reports
June 14, 2026
Bar Eilat Yogev, Gal Levi, Noa Efroni et al.
Alcohol consumption before trauma increases vulnerability to PTSD-like symptoms in rats. Rats given ethanol four hours before predator scent stress showed more anxiety-like behavior, heightened startle responses, and greater hippocampal dendritic retraction seven days later. This vulnerability was linked to reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neuropeptide Y, increased hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 1, and loss of neuropeptide Y-Y1 receptor immunoreactivity in the hippocampus—a hypoexcitable, plasticity-resistant state. A single intranasal subanesthetic dose of ketamine delivered via amylolipid nanovesicles one hour after trauma reduced cue-induced freezing and dendritic atrophy, suggesting a potential preventive strategy for alcohol-exposed trauma survivors.
Psychoactives
June 8, 2026
Fizza Mitter, Anton Sheptooha, Janni Leung et al.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often not well treated by current medications or talk therapies, leading to interest in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials with 358 participants examined MDMA, ketamine, and cannabidiol. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy produced a moderate-to-large reduction in PTSD symptoms, with more participants achieving clinical response and loss of PTSD diagnosis. Ketamine showed a small, non-significant effect, and one trial of cannabidiol found no clear benefit. All agents were generally well tolerated. The evidence is dominated by MDMA trials, and safety data remain insufficient for strong comparisons. More studies with standardized outcomes and direct comparisons are needed.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
June 1, 2026
Ted Obi, Kerry J Ressler
PTSD remains difficult to treat; only two medications are FDA-approved and have modest efficacy, and even first-line psychotherapies leave up to half of patients with persistent symptoms. Advances in neurobiology now frame PTSD as a disorder of maladaptive stress circuitry, neuroplasticity, and memory reconsolidation, opening new therapeutic possibilities. This review examines current pharmacotherapy, emerging targets, and 45 actively enrolling clinical trials. Rapid-acting interventions such as ketamine (producing symptom reductions within hours) and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (demonstrating Phase 3 efficacy) represent major advances, though questions remain about durability, dosing, and safety. Many mechanistically plausible candidates have failed in late-stage trials due to high placebo responses, patient heterogeneity, and translational gaps.
Journal of traumatic stress
June 1, 2026
Kadek Suhardita, Veno Dwi Krisnanda, Rikas Saputra et al.
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for treating PTSD, but the evidence base has major limitations: difficulties in blinding, expectancy effects, lack of active comparators, unclear mechanisms, and safety concerns. The commentary argues these issues are central to interpreting the therapy's effects and future translation. It calls for moving beyond symptom reduction to broader recovery indicators like functioning, quality of life, relational restoration, and long-term durability. Stronger attention to equity, scalability, therapist training, and ethical safeguards is needed, especially for global mental health frameworks. The discussion aims to stimulate deeper debate on evaluating innovation in trauma treatment before widespread clinical adoption.
Journal of trauma and injury
June 1, 2026
Minaal Ahmed Malik, Michele Halasa, Jack Chia et al.
Ketamine, a drug used in emergency medicine for pain and sedation, has a complex relationship with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A single low-dose infusion (0.5 mg/kg) can reduce PTSD symptoms within 24 hours compared to midazolam, without lasting dissociative effects. However, some observational studies link ketamine use in acute trauma care to heightened dissociation, hyperarousal, and stress symptoms early on. Research on burn patients suggests intraoperative ketamine may reduce PTSD incidence, though one later study found no difference from controls. Effects appear to depend on dose and timing: perioperative use may be protective, while immediate post-trauma administration could worsen dissociative and stress responses. Further trials are needed to refine dosing and identify patient-specific risk factors.