Ketamine as a Mental Health Treatment
Liz Braun, Alison Colbert
AJN, American Journal of Nursing February 19, 2026 DOI: 10.1097/ajn.0000000000000250 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with treatment-resistant mental health disorders |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Mental health Depression economics Population Intervention counseling Clinical trial |
| Key findings | Ketamine and esketamine offer a novel mechanism for treatment-resistant mental health disorders, but their use is marked by fragmented regulation and evolving evidence. |
Abstract
Ketamine has emerged as a promising intervention for treatment-resistant mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. With rising global mental health burdens and the limitations of existing pharmacological treatments, ketamine's novel mechanism of action provides a potential alternative for individuals who have not responded to traditional therapies. Ketamine was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1970 for use as an anesthetic, and over the past two decades, has increasingly been investigated and used as an off-label treatment for mental health disorders. Additionally, the S-ketamine enantiomer of ketamine, esketamine (marketed as Spravato), received approval for treatment-resistant depression in 2019. Clinical applications of ketamine in the treatment of mental health disorders include intranasal administration (esketamine), IV infusions, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and at-home therapy, with varying levels of oversight. The current ketamine landscape has created a perfect storm in which the regulation of ketamine's use in mental health treatment remains fragmented, the evidence is constantly evolving, and a vulnerable population of individuals who are struggling with treatment-resistant mental health symptoms are desperate for relief. This article addresses these considerations by providing a foundation of clinical information that nurses should understand as they advise patients who are receiving, or curious about ketamine, as well as by discussing the regulatory, ethical, and nursing implications of using ketamine in the treatment of mental health disorders.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ketamine for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation Adults with treatment-resistant depression | 2021 | Review | |
| Ketamine: a paradigm shift for depression research and treatment | 2019 | Review | |
| Rapid‐acting antidepressant ketamine, its metabolites and other candidates: A historical overview and future perspective | 2019 | Review | |
| Ketamine: A tale of two enantiomers | 2020 | Review | |
| Molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of arketamine: beyond the NMDA receptor | 2021 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 37
- A Randomized Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2006
- Ketamine and Ketamine Metabolite Pharmacology: Insights into Therapeutic Mechanisms Pharmacological Reviews June 26, 2018
- Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation American Journal of Psychiatry March 17, 2021
- A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders JAMA Psychiatry March 1, 2017
- Reviewing the ketamine model for schizophrenia Journal of Psychopharmacology November 20, 2013
and 32 more in the library