A longitudinal case series of IM ketamine for patients with severe and enduring eating disorders and comorbid treatment‐resistant depression
Terry Schwartz, Mary Ellen Trunko, David Feifel, Emily Lopez, Danika Peterson, Guido K W Frank, Walter H. Kaye
Clinical Case Reports April 4, 2021 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.3869 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSevere and enduring eating disorders carry the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illnesses, especially when combined with treatment-resistant depression. Four patients with both conditions received repeated ketamine treatments over 12 or more months. Depression improved, but eating disorder symptoms changed only modestly.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case series Longitudinal Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | Patients with enduring eating disorders and treatment-resistant depression |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Duration | 12+ months |
| Topics | Ketamine |
| Keywords | Depression economics Medicine Psychiatry Eating disorders |
| Citations | 52 |
| Key finding | Repeated ketamine treatment over 12+ months improved depression but produced only modest changes in eating disorder symptoms. |
Abstract
Abstract Severe and enduring eating disorders (EDs) have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illnesses (Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2011, 68 , 724), especially when comorbid with treatment‐resistant depression (TRD) (Psychiatr Res, 2016, 244 , 45). We report on four patients with enduring EDs and TRD treated with repeat ketamine over 12 + months, showing improvement in depression with only modest changes in ED symptoms.