Ketamine-Assisted Group Psychotherapy for Frontline Healthcare Workers with COVID-19-Related Burnout and PTSD: A Case Series of Effectiveness/Safety for 10 Participants.
Journal of psychoactive drugs January 1, 2024 Reid Robison, Madeline Brendle, Claire Moore et al.
Ten frontline healthcare workers with burnout and PTSD symptoms were treated with group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) in a private clinic. They attended six weekly sessions: one preparation, three ketamine sessions (two sublingual, one intramuscular), and two integration sessions. PTSD, depression, and anxiety scores improved from pre- to post-treatment, with a 59% reduction in PTSD scores, 58% reduction in depression scores, and 36% reduction in anxiety scores. After treatment, all participants screened negative for PTSD, 90% had minimal or mild depression, and 60% had minimal or mild anxiety. Ketamine was well tolerated with no significant adverse events. Participant feedback supported the improvements.