Depression, an unmet health need in Africa: Understanding the promise of ketamine.
Heliyon April 15, 2024 Aletta Me Millen, William Mu Daniels, Sooraj Baijnath 6 citations
Depression prevalence in Africa is severely underestimated due to unique societal risk factors and low public awareness. Treatment is hindered by inaccessible, low-cost options and a one-dimensional focus on outdated neurotransmitter theories, leading to rising treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Ketamine has emerged as a novel antidepressant, with esketamine FDA-approved for TRD in 2019, and ketamine infusion clinics established in Africa. However, esketamine is expensive and inaccessible to many, while cheaper racemic ketamine shows clinical potential but lacks regulation and understanding of its neurological mechanisms, especially in diverse African populations. This review provides an African context of depression and ketamine's therapeutic potential by highlighting its molecular mechanism of action.