Psychiatry research
February 1, 2025
Adam Bayes, Thanh Vinh Cao, Ana Rita Barreiros et al.
6 citations
Ketamine and its derivatives are increasingly used for treatment-resistant depression, but they can cause side effects during and between treatment sessions. The Ketamine Side Effect Tool (KSET) was designed to monitor these effects, but its length limited its use in clinics. Using retrospective data from three outpatient services, researchers calculated how often side effects occurred within sessions, between sessions, and at follow-up. They then developed a shorter version, the KSET-Revised (KSET-R), which showed good construct and concurrent validity for specific items and an overall tolerability rating. The revised tool is more feasible for clinical practice and is recommended for monitoring side effects in patients receiving ketamine treatment.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
July 6, 2026
Nick Glozier, Richard W. Morris, Elizabeth Stratton et al.
A 4-week course of subcutaneous racemic ketamine produced short-term clinical benefit in a minority of people with treatment-resistant depression, with response rates declining substantially after treatment cessation. Among 130 participants, 30% responded at treatment end (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale reduction ≥50%), but only 17% remained responders 4 weeks later, and over 50% experienced less than a 25% reduction in depression scores. No difference in response was found between fixed and flexible dosing regimens. Prior ketamine treatment during an earlier randomized trial did not affect later outcomes. No suicides or suicidal behavior requiring admission occurred, and only expected side effects were observed.
Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research
May 9, 2026
Gregory Carter, Maree Hackett, Stevan Nikolin et al.
Ketamine's effect on suicidal ideation in adults with treatment-resistant depression remains uncertain. In a phase III double-blind randomized trial comparing subcutaneous racemic ketamine to midazolam over four weeks, one cohort showed no significant difference between groups on either the MADRS item 10 or the C-SSRS measure of suicidal ideation. A second cohort showed a non-significant reduction on the MADRS item 10 but a significant reduction on the C-SSRS. Baseline suicidal ideation scores were low in both cohorts. Adverse events requiring clinical review occurred in 13.8% of all treatment sessions. The authors suggest flexible-dose subcutaneous racemic ketamine may have beneficial effects on suicidal ideation scores, but future studies need to be powered for suicidal ideation as a primary outcome.