Assessing the Impact of Ketamine-Assisted Multimodal Therapy on Depressive Symptoms: A Longitudinal Pre-Post BDI-II Study with Exploratory Follow-Up Analysis

A multimodal therapy combining ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, neurofeedback, and additional psychotherapy sessions substantially reduced depressive symptoms in a Spanish clinic. Among 67 patients with various diagnoses who were screened for depression, Beck Depression Inventory-II scores dropped significantly from before to after treatment, with a large effect size. Exploratory follow-up of 28 patients indicated that improvements could be sustained for months or even years. The findings suggest that integrating multiple biological and psychological interventions may offer an effective approach for treating depression in a clinical setting.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Introduction: Europe faces a worsening mental health crisis, with nearly half of the population (46%) reporting emotional or psychological issues, such as depression, within the last year. One in six Europeans is currently affected by mental health problems, equating to approximately 84 million individuals across the continent (Nawrocka, 2023). Method: This study examines the impact of a multimodal therapeutic approach, including Ketamine-assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), Neurofeedback, and additional psychotherapy sessions, on depressive symptoms as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) in a Spanish clinic. Conducted in a clinical setting, the study involved patients with varying primary diagnoses (N = 67), all screened for depression. Results: A pre-post comparison between baseline (T0) and post-treatment (T1) BDI-II scores revealed significant improvement (d=1.42; n=58), indicating the effectiveness of the multimodal therapy. Despite the small sample size of the long-term follow-up cohort (n = 28), the exploratory analysis offered valuable insights into the treatment’s sustained effects. Conclusion: The significant reduction in depressive symptoms from pre- to post-treatment demonstrates the immediate efficacy of the intervention. Follow-up assessments suggest that these benefits can be sustained over months, with some patients maintaining improved outcomes even years after treatment.