Self-treatment of psychiatric conditions using ketamine: Patterns, characteristics, and retrospective insights.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) June 1, 2026 Gabrielle Smith, Timothy Piatkowski, Jason Ferris et al. 1 citation
People who self-treat psychiatric conditions with unregulated drugs often use ketamine alongside other psychedelics. Among 5831 respondents to the 2020 Global Drug Survey who self-treated diagnosed psychiatric conditions, over 60% had prior psychiatric diagnoses, most commonly depression and anxiety. Those using both ketamine and other psychedelics attended festivals and clubs more often and used ketamine more frequently. Those using only non-ketamine psychedelics showed a significant reduction in ketamine use. Nearly half sought online advice before starting ketamine self-treatment, suggesting online platforms are key for harm reduction resources.