Mental health professionals' perspective on the use of esketamine in treatment-resistant depression and their motivation to adopt it: a Saudi cross-sectional study.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2026 Ahmad H Almadani, Ayedh H Alghamdi, Gosay M Almazyad et al.
Among 223 psychiatrists surveyed in Saudi Arabia, fewer than 20% had prescribed esketamine for treatment-resistant depression, and most of those had treated only 1-2 patients. The most frequently perceived side effects were dissociation, delusions, or hallucinations (66.82%) and dizziness or vertigo (59.19%). Older age, consultant-level practice, practice in the Western Region, lower concern about misuse, easier perceived access, and fewer concerns about the administration process were significantly linked to having prescribed esketamine. Senior registrars, registrars, and residents were less likely to prescribe than consultants. The main barriers were the administration process (66.37%) and cost (65.02%). Actual adoption remains low despite interest.