Mentalization and Emotional-Cognitive Rigidity as predictors of esketamine's effects on Treatment-Resistant Depression: Findings from a prospective observational study.
Journal of Affective Disorders September 1, 2025 M. Olivola, Filippo Mazzoni, Barbara Tarantino et al. 8 citations
A six-month observational study of 36 patients with treatment-resistant depression found that those with poor mentalization abilities at the start had more severe depressive symptoms throughout treatment with esketamine. Greater cognitive rigidity appeared protective, possibly by stabilizing emotions and reducing negative thinking. The findings suggest esketamine may help break cognitive inflexibility and improve mentalization, supporting a personalized approach to treatment-resistant depression.