Journal of Affective Disorders
August 1, 2026
Ching-Hua Julie Lee, Yunzhe Qian, Weiqun Yu et al.
This study evaluated the long-term comparative effectiveness and safety of esketamine versus injectable ketamine and esketamine versus oral antidepressants for major depressive disorder (MDD). This emulated target trial utilized observational data from a cohort of U.S. adults with MDD between 2018 and 2024. Patients were categorized into those receiving esketamine, injectable R,S-ketamine, and...
medRxiv
July 10, 2026
Daniel Copeland, Naoise Mac Giollabhui, Louisa G Sylvia et al.
preprint
Background: Despite growing evidence that lifestyle interventions reduce depressive symptoms, the psychological mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. This study examined whether mindfulness and rumination mediate the antidepressant effects of heated yoga (HY), a multicomponent intervention combining physical activity, attentional training, and thermoregulatory stress....
Journal of Affective Disorders
May 14, 2026
Joshua Curtiss, Laya Dasari, Julianne Origlio et al.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects millions globally, with approximately 30% of patients experiencing treatment-resistant depression (TRD). While ketamine has emerged as a rapid-acting intervention, response rates remain variable, underscoring the need to refine precision medicine approaches for ketamine treatment. Network theories of mental health disorders have been promoted as framework...
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
November 14, 2022
Anna Feeney, Bettina B. Hoeppner, Marlene P. Freeman et al.
9 citations
Objective: Ketamine is a novel and rapidly acting treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). Benzodiazepines are commonly coprescribed with antidepressants in MDD. This study sought to examine data from a randomized clinical trial that compared a single infusion of intravenous (IV) ketamine to midazolam placebo in treatment-resistant depression (DSM-IV-TR MDD) and to assess whether the use...
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
March 14, 2022
Felipe A Jain, Sergey V. Chernyak, Lisa D Nickerson et al.
Introduction: Family caregivers of patients with dementia suffer a high burden of depression and reduced positive emotions. Mentalizing imagery therapy (MIT) provides mindfulness and guided imagery skills training to improve balanced mentalizing and emotion regulation. Objective: Our aims were to test the hypotheses that MIT for family caregivers would reduce depression symptoms and improve...
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
February 14, 2022
H. Sakurai, Bettina B. Hoeppner, Felipe A Jain et al.
Abstract Background Some staging models for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) have been developed in the attempt to predict treatment outcome, in particular with electroconvulsive therapy. However, these models have not been tested in predicting clinical outcome of ketamine treatment. We assessed the relationship between patients' classification with different TRD staging models and...
November 1, 2020
Cristina Cusin
After completing this activity, the learner will be able to: Discuss the efficacy of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. Recognize the importance of monitoring patients after the administration of ketamine. Determine possible contraindications and antidepressant interactions.
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
April 25, 2020
Marlene P. Freeman, Rebecca S. Hock, George I. Papakostas et al.
45 citations
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and obesity commonly co-occur. We sought to assess the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the acute antidepressant effects of ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression. METHODS/PROCEDURES: Post hoc analyses were conducted from a multisite, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to assess the rapid-onset...
JAMA
May 24, 2019
Ole Köhler‐forsberg, Cristina Cusin, Andrew A. Nierenberg
18 citations
This Viewpoint discusses recent evidence documenting benefits of nonpharmacological and drug therapies for major depressive disorder including exercise, Mediterranean diet and structured dietary support, ketamine and esketamine, anti-inflammatory drugs, brexanolone, and psilocybin.
Journal of Affective Disorders
2019
Dawn F. Ionescu, Kate H Bentley, M. Eikermann et al.
179 citations
BACKGROUND Several studies indicate that ketamine has rapid antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The extent to which repeated doses of ketamine (versus placebo) reduce depression in the short and long term among outpatients with TRD and chronic, current suicidal ideation remains unknown. METHODS Twenty-six medicated outpatients with severe major...
Depression and Anxiety
December 30, 2018
Naji C. Salloum, Maurizio Fava, Marlene P. Freeman et al.
49 citations
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of high baseline anxiety on response to ketamine versus midazolam (active placebo) in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). METHODS: In a multisite, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 99 subjects with TRD were randomized to one of five arms: a single dose of intravenous ketamine 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg, or midazolam 0.045 mg/kg. The primary outcome measure...
Molecular Psychiatry
October 3, 2018
Maurizio Fava, M. Freeman, M. Flynn et al.
438 citations
Numerous placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated the ability of ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, to induce rapid (within hours), transient antidepressant effects when administered intravenously (IV) at subanesthetic doses (0.5 mg/kg over 40 min). However, the optimal antidepressant dose remains unknown. We aimed to compare to active placebo the rapid acting antidepressant properties...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
February 20, 2018
Dawn F. Ionescu, J. Felicione, Aishwarya K. Gosai et al.
Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent conditions in psychiatry. Patients who do not respond to traditional monoaminergic antidepressant treatments have an especially difficult-to-treat type of MDD termed treatment-resistant depression. Subanesthetic doses of ketamine—a glutamatergic modulator—have shown great promise for rapidly treating patients with the most...
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
June 2016
Dawn F. Ionescu, Michaela B Swee, Kara J. Pavone et al.
Ketamine rapidly reduces thoughts of suicide in patients with treatment-resistant depression who are at low risk for suicide. However, the extent to which ketamine reduces thoughts of suicide in depressed patients with current suicidal ideation remains unknown. Between April 2012 and October 2013, 14 outpatients with DSM-IV-diagnosed major depressive disorder were recruited for the presence of...