"This Is Something That Changed My Life": A Qualitative Study of Patients' Experiences in a Clinical Trial of Ketamine Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2021 O Merve Mollaahmetoglu, Johanna Keeler, Katherine J Ashbullby et al. 62 citations
Ketamine treatment, provided in a supportive clinical setting, led to a significant change in participants' relationship with alcohol. Interviews with 12 people who received up to three ketamine infusions (0.8 mg/kg) as part of a Phase II randomized controlled trial revealed six key themes: multifaceted motivations for joining the trial; the influence of set and setting on the acute experience; inherent contradictions such as dissociation versus feelings of connection; rapidly fluctuating experiences; meaningful, mystical, and spiritual experiences; and transformational effects of the infusions. Participants reported that ego dissolution and dissociation were linked to these transformative changes. The authors suggest that the acute psychoactive effects of ketamine transcend its traditional label as a dissociative anesthetic and recommend developing new measures to capture the full spectrum of these effects.