Personality profiles and trauma history in ketamine therapy for mood and anxiety disorders: A latent profile analysis of short-term outcomes.
Nina Gregoire, Ethan Klukas, Kimberley Kaseweter, W Francois Louw, Paul G Davies
Psychopharmacology October 27, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06948-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort with latent profile analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 184 |
| Population | Patients seeking ketamine-assisted therapy at a Canadian clinic |
| Intervention | Ketamine-assisted therapy |
| Duration | One-week post-treatment |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Keywords | Ketamine-assisted therapy Latent profile analysis Personality traits Trauma history Treatment outcomes |
| Key findings | Personality profiles did not predict differential symptom change, but participants with a trauma history showed greater reductions in depression and improvements in physical quality of life. |
Abstract
Ketamine-assisted therapy is emerging as a fast-acting intervention for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. However, individual response to treatment varies, and little is known about how personality traits and trauma history influence outcomes. This study investigated whether distinct personality profiles emerge in a real-world sample of patients undergoing ketamine therapy and examined how these profiles, along with trauma history, relate to baseline symptoms and short-term treatment outcomes. A total of 184 patients seeking ketamine-assisted therapy at a Canadian clinic completed baseline assessments, including the Mini-IPIP (personality), PHQ-9 (depression), GAD-7 (anxiety), and WHOQOL-BREF (quality of life). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify personality-based subgroups. Paired-sample t-tests and ANOVAs were conducted to examine differences in symptom severity and change scores after treatment. Three personality profiles were identified: Easygoing Extraverts, Average, and Reserved Introverts. Reserved Introverts reported significantly higher baseline depression and anxiety than other profiles. While all profiles showed improvements in depression and anxiety one-week post-treatment, the personality profiles did not predict differential symptom change. However, participants with a trauma history showed greater reductions in depression and improvements in physical quality of life than those without. Personality traits relate to baseline mental health severity but not short-term response to ketamine. Trauma history may predict greater benefit from treatment. These findings support further integration of personality and trauma assessments into personalized care approaches.