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.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on ketamine for depression, most cited first.