Association of intravenous ketamine with change in depressive symptoms in a large integrated health care system.
Psychiatry research January 1, 2025 Li Kevin J, Slama Natalie E, Chen Ingrid et al.
Patients with treatment-resistant depression who received intravenous ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg over 40 minutes twice weekly for three weeks) were 72% more likely to achieve a 50% or greater reduction in depression symptoms compared to similar patients receiving standard medication management. The study followed 570 adults in a large healthcare system, matching groups on sex, race, age, and baseline depression severity. Although the ketamine group showed a higher remission rate (8% versus 5%), this difference was not statistically significant. Co-occurring anxiety and personality disorders, as well as more severe baseline depression, predicted worse outcomes regardless of treatment.