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Improvement of Mental Health Symptoms in Response to Ketamine Therapy in Medicaid-Eligible Patients

CJ Bonnett, J Bonder, R Jain, A Stabbert, C Sayre

Journal of Psychiatry and Mental Health 2024 DOI: 10.16966/2474-7769.151 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 289
Population Medicaid-eligible patients with established diagnoses of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and/or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Intervention Ketamine
Duration Six-session Induction Series of ketamine treatments
Measures GAD-7, PHQ-9, PCL-5
Topics Esketamine Ketamine
Key findings Among 289 Medicaid-eligible patients with GAD, MDD, and/or PTSD, scores on the GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PCL-5 showed a clinically significant reduction in symptoms from before treatment to after a six-session ketamine induction series.

Abstract

Since 2020 there has been an expansion in the number of studies highlighting the positive effect that Ketamine for Non-Anesthetic Indications (KNAI) can have on patients suffering with mental health disorders. Medicaid programs cover a large community of patients that face significant health disparities and suffer more frequently from mental health conditions. Many of these conditions are exacerbated due to socioeconomic stressors, lack of access to care, and poor support systems. Our case study focuses on 289 Medicaid-eligible patients and the effect ketamine treatment had on their mental health symptoms. These participants had an established diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and/or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) prior to beginning treatment. The GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PCL-5 surveys were utilized for assessment of symptomatology in this cohort of patients. These instruments were all deployed prior to beginning treatment and at the end of the six-session Induction Series of ketamine treatments. The comparison of scores on these screening instruments pre-and post-treatment demonstrated a clinically significant reduction in symptomatology in the three diagnosis cohorts of patients listed above.

Comparable studies

Other case reports and case series on ketamine, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The destruction of the lower urinary tract by ketamine abuse: a new syndrome? Young recreational abusers of street-ketamine in Hong Kong referred to urology units 2008 Retrospective case series n = 59
Electroconvulsive Therapy, Ketamine, and Esketamine in a Patient with Major Depressive Disorder and Multiple Comorbidities: A Case Report over 10-year Treatment from Adolescence to Adulthood. A patient with treatment-resistant depression and comorbid generalized anxiety... 2025 Case report n = 1
Treatment of compulsive behaviour in eating disorders with intermittent ketamine infusions Chronic and treatment-resistant eating disorder patients 1998 Case series n = 15
Oral Administration of the NMDA Receptor Antagonist S-Ketamine as Add-On Therapy of Depression: A Case Series Four depressed patients taking standard antidepressants 2009 Case series n = 4
A longitudinal case series of IM ketamine for patients with severe and enduring eating disorders and comorbid treatment‐resistant depression Patients with enduring eating disorders and treatment-resistant depression 2021 Case series n = 4

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Esketamine Ketamine Anxiety Depression PTSD