Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for trauma-exposed patients in an outpatient setting: A clinical chart review study
Alan K. Davis, Pratheek Mangini, Yitong Xin
Journal of Psychedelic Studies October 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2021.00179 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Retrospective clinical chart review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Trauma-exposed patients in an outpatient clinic |
| Intervention | Sublingual ketamine-assisted body-centered psychotherapy |
| Duration | Six sessions |
| Topics | Anxiety Ketamine Esketamine Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Depression economics Population Clinical psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | Sublingual ketamine-assisted body-centered psychotherapy was associated with meaningful improvements in PTSD symptoms and global disability and statistically significant improvements in depression, but no improvements in anxiety. |
Abstract
Abstract Trauma exposure across the lifespan produces risks for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, as well as global disability in functioning. This retrospective clinical chart review is the first of its kind to assess the utility of sublingual ketamine-assisted body-centered psychotherapy in trauma-exposed patients in a real world clinic setting. De-identified clinical records data on self-reported symptom measures were retrospectively analyzed for patients ( N = 18; M age = 45.22, SD = 12.90) entering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy treatment in an outpatient clinic between 2018 and 2020. Patients who completed six sessions of ketamine therapy reported meaningful (e.g., medium effect size) improvements in PTSD symptoms ( P = 0.058; d = −0.48) and global disability in functioning ( P = 0.050; d = −0.52) and statistically significant and meaningful improvements in depression ( P = 0.019; d = −0.53). There were no improvements in anxiety symptoms. Sublingual ketamine-assisted psychotherapy was associated with heterogenous clinical utility among patients with trauma-exposure in an outpatient setting. This study was underpowered and unrepresentative of the population of ketamine patients in the United States. Replication of these findings is needed with larger and more diverse patient samples.