Ketamine in the effective management of chronic pain, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder for Veterans: A meta-analysis and systematic review.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2024 Jenny J W Liu, Natalie Ein, Julia Gervasio et al. 13 citations
Ketamine shows promise for treating chronic pain, depression, and PTSD in military populations, including active-duty personnel and veterans. A meta-analysis of 11 studies (22 samples) found that ketamine use led to significant, moderate-to-large reductions in symptoms across all three conditions, with an overall effect size of g = 1.76. These benefits were consistent regardless of how ketamine was administered, dosage, treatment duration, or whether other treatments were used concurrently. The findings suggest ketamine may be a valuable alternative, especially for those who have not responded to conventional treatments. However, more research is needed to confirm these results.