Emerging Clinical Applications of Ketamine and Esketamine Across Psychiatric Disorders.
Rachel Fremont, Marcella Corwin, Greta Kandel, Esha Talati, Jakub Denkiewicz, Rae L Sustana, Keren Bachi, Adriana Feder
Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20250046 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Keywords | Academic psychiatry Antidepressants |
| Key findings | Argues that ketamine and esketamine have expanded treatment options for depression and other psychiatric disorders, but outstanding issues and limitations remain. |
Abstract
Over the past 25 years, the field of psychiatry has seen a rapid expansion of ketamine treatment services offered for the off-label management of depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of intranasal esketamine, the S-enantiomer of ketamine, for treatment-resistant depression and suicidal depression. In this review, the authors describe recent advances in the use of ketamine and esketamine for the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders, new research on novel treatment targets, and emerging evidence about ketamine's potential as a prophylactic intervention. Key outstanding issues and limitations of current ketamine treatment also are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on esketamine 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 | |
| Long-term safety of ketamine and esketamine in treatment of depression | 2022 | Review | |
| Ketamine, Esketamine, and Arketamine: Their Mechanisms of Action and Applications in the Treatment of Depression and Alleviation of Depressive Symptoms. | 2024 | Review | |
| Variations in BDNF and Their Role in the Neurotrophic Antidepressant Mechanisms of Ketamine and Esketamine: A Review. Patients with depression | 2024 | Narrative review | |
| The Possible Application of Ketamine in the Treatment of Depression in Alzheimer’s Disease | 2022 | Review |