The perspectives of patients with depression toward esketamine, and the influence of their medication adherence on their viewpoints: a Saudi cross-sectional study.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2025 Ahmad H Almadani, Ayedh H Alghamdi, Fahad B Alfahad et al.
In a survey of 283 adults with depression, about half (52.3%) were willing to receive nasal esketamine, and 51.2% preferred its weekly or biweekly dosing over daily antidepressants. However, 79.5% cited cost as a barrier, and major concerns included medication unavailability (59.7%), fear of addiction (50.5%), anticipated stigma (24.4%), and first-month dosing frequency (21.2%). Notably, 77.4% were nonadherent to their current psychiatric medication. Adherence was higher among those who had previously used esketamine and among those who had someone to stay with them during and after treatment. The findings underscore the need for patient education, family involvement, and logistical support to address barriers and improve acceptance.