Three weekly infusions of ketamine (0.8 mg/kg) helped people with severe alcohol use disorder stay abstinent more days over six months than placebo infusions did. The ketamine group averaged 10.1% more days abstinent than the placebo group. Combining ketamine with mindfulness-based relapse prevention therapy produced the largest improvement, with 15.9% more abstinent days compared with placebo plus alcohol education. No serious adverse events occurred. Relapse rates did not differ significantly between ketamine and placebo groups. The findings suggest ketamine is safe and may support abstinence, especially when paired with psychological therapy.
In interviews with seven people who had previously received ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, participants were motivated by hope for symptom improvement and a desire to support depression research. They described feeling more open and involved after ketamine and thought it could enhance therapy sessions. They suggested clearer communication that mood changes may not last, providing audiovisual materials to prepare for the infusion experience, and offering check-ins between sessions plus a final session for referrals and support. These insights informed a planned feasibility randomized controlled trial comparing intravenous ketamine plus behavioral activation (n=20) against midazolam plus behavioral activation (n=20) for major depressive disorder with anhedonia.