Meta‐analysis finds ketamine infusions efficacious in treatment of depression
The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update September 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/pu.31487 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with a major depressive episode |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Key findings | Ketamine infusions, whether single or repeated, significantly improve suicidality and depressive symptoms in patients with a major depressive episode. Most serious adverse events were unrelated to treatment. |
Abstract
A systematic review and meta‐analysis encompassing 26 ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) has concluded that both single and repeated infusions of ketamine significantly improve suicidality and depressive symptoms in patients with a major depressive episode. Most of the serious adverse events that were reported in the included trials were determined to be unrelated to study treatment.