Ketamine for depression: a potential role in requests for Medical Aid in Dying?
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.