Could ketamine help treat major depression?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-05-07 01:00

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Ketamine could be considered as an off-label treatment for depression and suicidal behaviours that can’t be treated with other treatments, according to international researchers. The team reviewed and analysed 26 previous clinical trials with a total of 1,166 patients with a major depressive disorder, and found ketamine improved suicidal and depressive symptoms within hours. While more research and longer-term studies are needed, the team says ketamine could be an option in the future for extreme and treatment-resistant suicidal and depressive symptoms.

News release

From: JAMA

Ketamine Infusions and Rapid Reduction of Suicidal and Depressive Symptoms in Major Depressive Episode

About The Study: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that single and repeated intravenous ketamine infusions are efficacious in reducing suicidal and depressive symptoms in patients with a major depressive episode in the acute phase, while longer-term outcomes are not well established.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Psychiatry

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Connecticut, USA, Konyang University, South Korea

Funder: This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health. Dr Kaster was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the AFP Innovation Fund, and PCORI. Dr Rhee was supported in part by the National Institute on Aging (R21AG070666; R21AG078972), National Institute of Mental Health (R21MH117438), National Institute on Drug Abuse (R21DA057540), and Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, University of Connecticut. Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

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