Real-world outcomes of intranasal esketamine and intravenous ketamine induction therapy for treatment-resistant depression in a community clinic: a retrospective cohort study
Frontiers in Psychiatry July 9, 2026 Patrice A. Bellanti, Jordan Lewis, Brian Seifferth et al.
In a community psychiatric clinic, adults with treatment-resistant depression who received either intranasal esketamine or intravenous ketamine showed large reductions in depression severity, as measured by the PHQ-9 questionnaire. Both groups had similar average decreases of about 10 points, with response rates around 65–69% and remission rates of 23–32%. Most patients completed the induction phase, and no serious adverse events occurred. The study was not large enough to detect meaningful differences between the two treatments, and the different dosing schedules further limit direct comparison. The findings suggest both treatments are effective in real-world settings, consistent with prior controlled trials.