Promoting the Discussion of the Beneficial Effects of Ketamine to Treat Refractory Depression
Psychopharmacology Bulletin August 12, 2025 Priyanka Ghosh, Omar Viswanath 1 citation
A CNN article described a man with a 35-year history of severe refractory depression and suicidal ideation who was successfully treated with ketamine after failing numerous other medications. Seven placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials have shown beneficial effects of ketamine infusion therapy for refractory depression. However, ketamine therapy remains limited as an off-label use, with no large-scale randomized controlled trials demonstrating its safety or durability. Patient selection criteria are limited to major depressive disorder without psychotic features, with effects lasting up to one week. Evidence suggests other patients and repeated dosing could be beneficial, but clinical trials are lacking, and the FDA has not approved ketamine for psychiatric illness.