Measuring suicidal behavior in the era of rapid-acting antidepressants: A systematic review of ketamine studies.
Psychiatry research June 1, 2025 Flávia Vieira, Ana Teresa Caliman-Fontes, Breno Souza-Marques et al.
A systematic review of 46 studies on ketamine and its enantiomers for major depressive disorder identified 16 assessment tools used to measure suicidal behavior. Most were explicit, clinician-rated scales such as the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and Beck Scales for Suicide Ideation. Only the Suicide Ideation and Behavior Assessment Tool (SIBAT) was specifically developed for rapid-acting antidepressant trials. The variety of instruments used across studies makes comparisons difficult. The MADRS is suggested as a reasonable choice for assessing suicidal behavior in this context, though no single tool is universally preferable.