Age-related moderation of adjunctive psychotherapy and early life stress effects on depression symptom reductions following ketamine treatment: Initial insights from a large, naturalistic sample.
Journal of affective disorders February 4, 2026 Raquel Kosted, Alli Waddell, Ken Adolph et al.
Depression symptoms improved over time in patients receiving five ketamine infusions, with faster initial improvement that slowed later. Higher scores on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) survey were linked to greater symptom reduction, regardless of whether patients received ketamine-assisted therapy or infusions alone. Younger adults showed a stronger response to infusions alone compared to ketamine-assisted therapy, while older adults showed the opposite pattern. The association between higher ACE scores and greater symptom reduction was particularly pronounced in younger adults and reversed in older adults. These findings suggest ketamine may offer a targeted benefit for people with early life stress, especially younger adults.