Is there an independant anti-suicidal effect of esketamine in treatment resistant depression?
Journal of affective disorders May 1, 2026 Michel Danon, Gabriela Ostronoff, Anne-Cécile Petit et al.
Regulatory approvals for intranasal esketamine in treatment-resistant depression differ on its indication for suicidal ideation. In a two-center observational study of 261 adults with moderate-to-severe treatment-resistant depression, eight esketamine sessions over four weeks improved both depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. However, after statistically adjusting for the antidepressant effect, the reduction in suicidal ideation was no longer significant. The findings suggest that esketamine's anti-suicidal effect does not persist independently of its antidepressant effect.