The Effect of Ketamine infusions on suicidal ideation in various mood disorders
Muhammad Bin Mobin, Zainab Abid, Sameen Saqib
Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association December 20, 2025 DOI: 10.47391/jpma.21482 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | low doses |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Suicidal ideation Borderline personality disorder Mood disorders Intervention counseling Clinical psychology Affect linguistics Mechanism biology |
| Key findings | Low-dose intravenous ketamine rapidly reduces suicidal ideation in patients with borderline personality disorder and major depressive disorder, and also alleviates mood dysregulation and impulsive behavior. |
Abstract
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterised by altered perception of self, mood changes, and suicidal ideation. The traditional treatments of BPD, including psychotherapy, fail to provide an immediate response in susceptible patients. However, recent literature has shed light on the use of Ketamine as intervention for suicidal ideation in BPD patients, as well as for patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Studies have shown that administering low doses of Ketamine intravenously has profound impact on reducing suicidality in susceptible patients. The mechanism of action of Ketamine is thought to be its regulation of neurotrophic factors, hence, eliciting a rapid response. Furthermore, Ketamine has also proved beneficial in alleviating other symptoms of BPD including mood dysregulation and impulsive behaviour. Provided the evidence, Ketamine could revolutionise the emergency management of suicidality; however, further research is required to establish its dose, safety, and contraindications.
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 |