Ketamine Infusions and Rapid Reduction of Suicidal and Depressive Symptoms in Major Depressive Episode: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
JAMA psychiatry July 1, 2026 Sung Ryul Shim, Hye Su Jeong, Tanner J Bommersbach et al. 1 citation
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 randomized clinical trials with 1,166 patients experiencing a major depressive episode found that intravenous ketamine infusions significantly reduce suicidal and depressive symptoms in the acute phase. A single ketamine infusion lowered suicidal symptoms at 24 hours and at 1 month, and repeated infusions produced similar reductions. Depressive symptoms decreased significantly from 4 hours through 1 week after a single infusion and after repeated infusions. Serious adverse events were unrelated to the interventions, and other side effects were transient. Longer-term outcomes remain unclear.