Parental Attitudes Toward Use of Ketamine in Adolescent Mood Disorders and Suicidality
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology October 1, 2021 David S. Mathai, Alexis G. McCathern, Andrew G. Guzick et al. 14 citations
Parents of adolescents show high acceptability toward using ketamine to treat suicidality, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder, despite the drug not being FDA-approved for psychiatric use in children. In a survey of 283 English-speaking parents, primary concerns included potential side effects and lack of FDA approval. Parents preferred short-term applications and less invasive routes of administration. A parent's own history of mental illness, familiarity with psychological treatments, and comfort using other mental health interventions for their children predicted greater acceptability. The findings indicate parental interest in ketamine as a treatment for pediatric mood disorders, pointing to future research and clinical directions.