Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 19, 2023
Nicolas Garel, Jessica Drury, Julien Thibault Lévesque et al.
32 citations
A biopsychosocial approach to ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, called the Montreal model, pairs ketamine infusions with structured psychiatric care and psychotherapy. Developed over six years in public healthcare settings, the model conceptualizes ketamine as a brief intervention that creates windows of opportunity for enhanced care and psychological growth. It combines six ketamine infusions with psychedelic-inspired nonpharmacological adjuncts, including preparative and integrative psychological support. The model aims to bridge biomedical and psychedelic perspectives, offering a standardized yet flexible approach for severe, real-world patients. Further research is needed to assess its effectiveness and hypothesized psychological mechanisms.
Scientific reports
July 17, 2024
Sara de la Salle, Hannes Kettner, Julien Thibault Lévesque et al.
21 citations
A prospective longitudinal survey of eight Canadians with cancer who received legal psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy under Section 56 exemptions found significant improvements in anxiety, depression, pain, fear of COVID-19, quality of life, and spiritual well-being two weeks after the session. Attitudes toward death, medical assistance in dying, and desire for hastened death remained unchanged. Most participants found the sessions highly meaningful, though one reported a substantial decrease in well-being. These preliminary data suggest that real-world psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy can produce psychiatric benefits similar to those in clinical trials, but limited enrollment and negative experiences indicate a need for formal real-world evaluation programs.
Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2023
Karin Cinalioglu, Paola Lavín, Magnus Bein et al.
21 citations
A randomized controlled trial will test whether virtual-reality-guided meditation is feasible and acceptable for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in older adults. Thirty community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or older with moderate stress will be randomly assigned to either an eight-session VR meditation program or a waitlist control group. Sessions last 15 minutes and occur twice weekly for four weeks, offered at home or in a hospital. Outcomes include perceived stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, quality of life, and mindfulness skills, measured before and after the intervention. Qualitative interviews will capture participants' experiences. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05315609).
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
November 1, 2023
Nicolas Garel, Kyle T Greenway, Lê-Anh L Dinh-Williams et al.
10 citations
A course of six sub-anesthetic ketamine infusions over four weeks helped patients with treatment-resistant depression discontinue long-term benzodiazepine or z-drug use. Of 22 patients, 91% (20/22) successfully stopped all such medications by the end of the infusions, confirmed by urine tests. Fewer than 25% experienced significant worsening of anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or suicidality during withdrawal. Over a mean follow-up of one year, 64% (14/22) remained abstinent. These preliminary results suggest ketamine infusions may facilitate benzodiazepine deprescription even in patients with active depression and significant comorbidity.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
June 18, 2025
Kyle T Greenway, Nicolas Garel, Lê-Anh L Dinh-Williams et al.
8 citations
In a clinical trial of ketamine combined with psychotherapy for severe treatment-resistant depression, 32 participants received six ketamine infusions with psychological support, either with or without music. Both groups showed large and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, and suicidality at four weeks, fully maintained at eight-week follow-up. The ketamine experiences were highly emotional and mystical, comparable to those seen with psilocybin. Converging analyses suggested that mystical-like experiences contributed to the immediate and lasting antidepressant effects. Music did not enhance outcomes or psychedelic experiences.
International clinical psychopharmacology
September 1, 2023
Nicolas Garel, Michka Nazon, Kamran Naghi et al.
7 citations
A Canadian patient with severe, prolonged treatment-resistant depression who was actively requesting Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) experienced remission after a course of intravenous ketamine infusions. This is the first reported case of any intervention yielding remission in a patient who would otherwise likely have been eligible for MAiD for depression. The case raises questions about evaluating MAiD requests for psychiatric disorders, particularly regarding the definition of irremediability—whether a patient lacks any reasonable prospect for recovery. The authors suggest that a trial of ketamine warrants consideration in similar cases.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
November 8, 2023
Anna Wilson, Clare Mckeaveney, Claire Carswell et al.
5 citations
A qualitative study explored the experiences of people with advanced kidney disease who participated in the Compassionate Mindful Resilience (CMR) programme. Nineteen participants (stage 4 or 5 kidney disease or transplant recipients) took part in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis yielded three themes: experiences of the CMR programme that facilitated subjective benefit, participants' lived and shared experiences, and practicalities of participation. All participants reported the programme as beneficial. The CMR programme proved an acceptable intervention, providing tools that support mental health and wellbeing for this patient group.
The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
October 1, 2023
Stacey Hatch, Marcia Finlayson, Soham Rej et al.
5 citations
A randomized controlled trial tested whether video-delivered Emotion Focused Mindfulness Therapy (EFMT) could reduce anxiety in adults aged 55 and older. Forty-eight participants were assigned to group EFMT via Zoom or a wait-list control. Recruitment took 32 weeks, with 62.3% of screened individuals enrolling; retention was 80.0% and adherence among the intervention group was 100.0%. At 9 weeks, the EFMT group showed a greater reduction in anxiety scores (−3.47 points) compared to the control group (−1.22 points), a statistically significant difference. The findings suggest that virtually-delivered EFMT is feasible, acceptable, and effective for late-life anxiety.
BMC nephrology
January 31, 2024
Anna Wilson, Claire Carswell, Clare Mckeaveney et al.
4 citations
A four-week Compassionate Mindful Resilience (CMR) programme for adults with stage 4 or 5 kidney disease or a kidney transplant led to significant improvements in anxiety, depression, self-compassion, mental wellbeing, resilience, and mindfulness, with gains maintained at three months. Of 75 participants recruited, 65 completed the programme; most were female and post-transplant. All 19 interviewed participants reported benefit. The findings suggest the programme has potential to improve psychological outcomes in this population, though randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm effectiveness.