A group therapy program called Roots to Thrive (RTT) produced significant reductions in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms among 49 healthcare practitioners with treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Participants' average PTSD scores dropped from 39.3 to 20.99, depression scores from 15.5 to 7.7, and anxiety scores from 15.5 to 6.2 over 12 weeks. Adding ketamine-assisted therapy did not lead to statistically greater improvements than the group therapy alone. The findings suggest that the group therapy model itself may be effective, and that the role of ketamine in this context requires further investigation.
In a community-based ketamine-assisted therapy program (Roots to Thrive), 128 participants received 351 intramuscular injections (average 103 mg) and 96 sublingual doses (average 277 mg) over 12 weeks, alongside group therapy. Elevated blood pressure occurred transiently in about 12% more sessions than at baseline, with similar rates for both administration routes. Nausea was the most common side effect (12% of sessions), followed by headache (3%), vomiting (2.5%), and dizziness (seven sessions). Past psychedelic use or psychiatric diagnosis did not predict adverse events, but male participants had significantly less nausea. The program had no dropouts, suggesting good safety and tolerability.