Real-world evaluation of change in depressive symptoms among patients with treatment-resistant depression treated with esketamine
BMC Psychiatry January 4, 2026 Carl D. Marci, Kruti Joshi, Stevan Geoffrey Severtson et al. 2 citations
Among 163 patients with treatment-resistant depression treated with esketamine nasal spray in real-world US settings, depressive symptoms improved significantly over six months. Average PHQ-9 scores dropped by 3.2 points within the first three months and by 4.4 points between three and six months after starting treatment. The proportion of patients with moderately severe or severe depression fell from 55.8% at baseline to 37.1% at three months and 25.0% at six months, while the share with minimal or mild depression increased. These findings suggest esketamine, approved in 2019 for treatment-resistant depression, is effective outside clinical trials.