Ketamine for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder: double-blind active-controlled randomised crossover study
Ben Beaglehole, Paul Glue, Shona Neehoff, Shabah M. Shadli, Neil McNaughton, Bridget Kimber, Corinne Muirhead, Aroha de Bie, Rachel Day-Brown, Natalie J. Medlicott
BJPsych Open October 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2025.10854 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Clinical trial Randomized Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Community sample of individuals with PTSD |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine PTSD |
| Keywords | Tolerability Dosing Crossover study Regimen Fight-or-flight response Clinical trial Anesthesia Placebo Context archaeology Randomized controlled trial Stress linguistics |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Intramuscular ketamine demonstrates preliminary efficacy and tolerability in a community sample of individuals with PTSD. |
Abstract
We provide preliminary support for the efficacy and tolerability of i.m. ketamine in a community sample of individuals with PTSD. Further work is required to establish the optimal dosing regimen and longer-term role of ketamine in treatment of PTSD, but our findings are encouraging given the well-known of treatments in this area.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on ketamine for PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Esketamine in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression and Comorbid Chronic Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Open-Label Single-Arm Pilot Study Patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and comorbid post-traumatic... | 2022 | Open-label, single-arm, retrospective pilot study | n = 11 |
| Six weeks open-label oral ketamine for patients with treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Participants with treatment-resistant depression (TR-D), post-traumatic stress disorder... | 2025 | Open-label extension study | n = 43 |
| Clinical indicators of the suicide crisis and response to ketamine. Adults across the continuum of suicide risk, including 14 high-risk individuals who had... | 2025 | Observational cohort with open-label intervention | n = 118 |
| Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy provides lasting and effective results in the treatment of depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder at 3 and 6 months: Findings from a large single-arm retrospective effectiveness trial Adults with a history of depression, anxiety, or PTSD who had not responded to prior... | 2023 | Retrospective single-arm effectiveness trial | n = 1,806 |
| Brain State Dynamics in Ketamine-Induced Dissociation Resemble Those in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Healthy volunteers and patients with PTSD | 2026 | Observational cohort with experimental manipulation and secondary analysis of clinical trial data | n = 108 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Efficacy and safety of ketamine for post‐traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review with narrative synthesis and consideration of military and veteran populations Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports October 7, 2026
- Ketamine Dose and Duration Effects in Internalizing Disorders The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology September 1, 2026
- Ketamine Dosing Across Clinical Indications: A Narrative Review Organized by Proposed NMDA-Related Mechanisms. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology June 1, 2026
- Hope for Neurotic Disorders: A Summary of New Zealand Research on the Development of Biomarkers and Novel Treatments. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand February 1, 2026
- A Systematic Review of the efficacy, safety, and Tolerability of Psychedelics in the Treatment of post-traumatic Stress Disorder Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry December 26, 2025
and 1 more in the library
Cites 16
- Measurement of dissociative states with the Clinician‐Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS) Journal of Traumatic Stress 1998
- Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine for Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder JAMA Psychiatry April 16, 2014
- MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Nature Medicine October 1, 2023
- Blinding and expectancy confounds in psychedelic randomized controlled trials Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology May 26, 2021
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Repeated Ketamine Administration for Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry January 5, 2021
and 11 more in the library