Effectiveness of IV Ketamine Therapy in the Management of Treatment Resistant Depression
BJPsych Open June 1, 2026 Imtiaz Ahmad Dogar, Palvisha Sajid, Dua Fatima et al.
In a non-randomized trial at a tertiary care hospital in Faisalabad, Pakistan, 30 patients with treatment-resistant depression received eight intravenous ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg over 60 minutes) over four weeks. 22 of 30 patients (73.3%) showed a positive response, defined as a 50% or greater reduction in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores one hour after the first dose. Improvement persisted at two-week and one-month follow-ups. The authors conclude that subanesthetic ketamine produces rapid and substantial improvement in depressive symptoms, with a response rate consistent with global data.