Reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms in a subset of outpatients with problematic substance use who received ketamine-assisted psychotherapy: a two-year retrospective chart review.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2023 Emily Whinkin, Therry Rose J Eparwa, Michelle C Julseth et al.
In patients with problematic substance use, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) was associated with significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms, as measured by the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scales. The average GAD-7 score decreased by 6.71 points, and the average PHQ-9 score decreased by 7.44 points. Improvements in psychosocial and spiritual well-being, measured by the NIH-HEALS scale, increased by an average of 5.13 points but were not statistically significant. Compared to the broader KAP patient population, those with problematic substance use showed significantly greater reductions in anxiety and depression. Undergoing one to six KAP sessions may be a useful therapy for reducing these symptoms in this population.