Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ketamine, and Combination Treatment for Depression: Impressions of Credibility in Participants with Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms
M. Earleywine, Brianna R. Altman, Joseph A. de Leo
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs April 20, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2021.1912863 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 500 |
| Population | Participants with depressive symptoms |
| Interventions | Cognitive behavioral therapy Ketamine |
| Topics | Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | Participants rated the credibility of CBT alone significantly higher than ketamine alone, and the combination treatment was seen as more credible than ketamine but not better than CBT alone. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Ketamine, a novel treatment for depression, has generated considerable interest and research. Few experiments address lay impressions of the credibility of ketamine treatment relative to another popular intervention for depression, CBT. Over 500 participants with depressive symptoms read descriptions of CBT, ketamine, and a treatment that combined the two. Descriptions included pros and cons of each approach. Participants found the combination treatment more credible than ketamine but no better than CBT alone. They rated the credibility of CBT alone significantly higher than ketamine alone. Participants with psychotherapy experience tended to view ketamine as less credible than those who did not report previous psychotherapy. Depression scores did not covary with credibility ratings for any treatment. Despite media coverage and Internet claims, potential clients are cautious about ketamine. These results suggest that providing descriptions of treatments might help reveal important information about their credibility to potential clients. Extended work assessing impressions of many approaches to the treatment of psychopathology and other problems appears justifiable. Given established links between credibility and treatment outcome, additional research on individual differences in perceptions of ketamine and varied treatments for depression seems warranted.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on ketamine for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous population pharmacokinetic modelling of ketamine and three major metabolites in patients with treatment‐resistant bipolar depression Patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression | 2012 | Population pharmacokinetic analysis | n = 9 |
| Patient preferences for ketamine-based antidepressant treatments in treatment-resistant depression: Results from a clinical trial and panel Esketamine-treated treatment-resistant depression subjects and online panel participants | 2020 | Discrete-choice experiment | n = 462 |
| Fabrication of a Controlled-Release Core-Shell Floating Tablet of Ketamine Hydrochloride Using a 3D Printing Technique for Management of Refractory Depressions and Chronic Pain. | 2024 | Experimental study | |
| Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Ketamine Derivatives as NMDAR Antagonists. | 2024 | Experimental study | |
| Adenosine as the metabolic common path of rapid antidepressant action: The coffee paradox. | 2025 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- How Important Is a Guide Who Has Taken Psilocybin in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Depression? Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 23, 2022
- Efficacy of single and repeated ketamine administration for suicidal ideation in adults with psychiatric disorders: A meta-analysis. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 10, 2025
- Psychedelic assisted therapy for major depressive disorder: Recent work and clinical directions Journal of Psychedelic Studies June 9, 2022
- Expectancies for Subjective and Antidepressant Effects in Psilocybin Users Journal of Humanistic Psychology September 22, 2023
- Exploring the Credibility of Psilocybin-assisted Therapy and Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Depression Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 3, 2022
and 3 more in the library
Cites 15
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Ketamine and Other NMDA Antagonists: Early Clinical Trials and Possible Mechanisms in Depression American Journal of Psychiatry October 1, 2015
- A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders JAMA Psychiatry March 1, 2017
- Side-effects associated with ketamine use in depression: a systematic review. The Lancet Psychiatry 2018
and 10 more in the library