Guidelines for ketamine use in clinical psychiatry practice.
Luke A. Jelen, Rupert McShane, Allan H. Young
BJPsych Open May 10, 2024 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2024.62 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Editorial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Keywords | Depressive disorders Antidepressants Guidelines Ketamine therapy Mental health treatment Antidepressant medication Clinical protocols |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | Argues that ketamine is effective for treatment-resistant depression and that comprehensive guidelines and national registries are needed to ensure its responsible use. |
Abstract
In this editorial, we emphasise the efficacy and challenges of using ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. We highlight the need for comprehensive evidence-based guidelines to manage the use of both licensed and off-licence ketamine formulations and discuss recent efforts by Beaglehole et al to develop ketamine guidelines in New Zealand. We finally advocate for national registries to monitor ketamine therapy, ensuring its responsible and effective use in the management of depression.