The Therapeutic Effects of Ketamine in Mental Health Disorders: A Narrative Review
Carolina Sepulveda Ramos, Matthew P. Thornburg, Kelly A Long, Kiran Kumar K. Sharma, Julia Roth, Diana Lacatusu, Reece Whitaker, Daniel Pacciulli, Sulma Moredo Loo, Mohammad Manzoor, Yun-Yee Tsang, Sydney Molenaar, Karthikeyan Sundar, Robin J Jacobs
Cureus March 30, 2022 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.23647 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | The authors conclude that ketamine's therapeutic effects offer a potential alternative treatment for depression, suicidal ideation, substance use disorders, and PTSD, based on a narrative review of English-language articles published between 2017 and 2022. |
Abstract
Ketamine, a non-competitive N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist, is commonly used as an anesthetic and analgesic but has recently shown promising research in treating certain psychiatric conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, and substance use disorder. Due to its euphoric, dissociative, and hallucinogenic properties, ketamine has been abused as a recreational drug, which has led to rigid regulation of medication. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for the American population which was reflected in increased reports of problems regarding their mental health. Mood disorders have dramatically increased in the past two years. Approximately one in ten people stated that they had started or increased substance use because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, rates of suicidal ideation have significantly increased when compared to pre-pandemic levels, with more than twice the number of adults surveyed in 2018 indicating suicidal thoughts "within the last 30 days" at the time they were surveyed. Moreover, many responders indicated they had symptoms of PTSD. The PubMed database was searched using the keyword "ketamine," in conjunction with "depression," "suicidal ideation," "substance use disorder," and "post-traumatic stress disorder." The inclusion criteria encompassed articles from 2017 to 2022 published in the English language that addressed the relationship between ketamine and mental health disorders. With this sharp increase in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and an increased public interest in mental health combined with the promise of the therapeutic value of ketamine for certain mental health conditions, including suicidal ideation, this narrative review sought to identify recently published studies that describe the therapeutic uses of ketamine for mental health. Results of this review indicate that ketamine's therapeutic effects offer a potential alternative treatment for depression, suicidal ideation, substance use disorders, and PTSD.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ketamine and Ketamine Metabolite Pharmacology: Insights into Therapeutic Mechanisms | 2018 | Review | |
| Mechanisms of Ketamine Action as an Antidepressant | 2018 | Review | |
| 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 | |
| Ketamine Pharmacology: An Update (Pharmacodynamics and Molecular Aspects, Recent Findings) | 2013 | Review | |
| A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders | 2017 | Review and consensus statement |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Ketamine, an Old–New Drug: Uses and Abuses Pharmaceuticals December 21, 2023
- Ketamine Reverses Chronic Stress‐Induced Behavioral Changes via the Expression of Ca 2+ ‐Permeable AMPA Receptors in Mice The FASEB Journal August 26, 2025
- N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists for treatment of catatonia in adults: Narrative review. General Hospital Psychiatry 2024
- Associations between psychedelic use and adverse outcomes in substance use disorders: a real-world EHR-based cohort study. Frontiers in Psychiatry October 24, 2025
- Le « spirituel mais non religieux » en santé : sacré sauvage et domestication scientifique ThéoRèmes August 5, 2026
Cites 19
- Efficacy and Safety of Flexibly Dosed Esketamine Nasal Spray Combined With a Newly Initiated Oral Antidepressant in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Double-Blind Active-Controlled Study American Journal of Psychiatry May 21, 2019
- Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Esketamine Adjunctive to Oral Antidepressant Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression JAMA Psychiatry December 27, 2017
- The effect of a single dose of intravenous ketamine on suicidal ideation: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis American Journal of Psychiatry October 3, 2017
- Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Esketamine for the Rapid Reduction of Symptoms of Depression and Suicidality in Patients at Imminent Risk for Suicide: Results of a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study American Journal of Psychiatry April 16, 2018
- Ketamine for rapid reduction of suicidal thoughts in major depression: a midazolam-controlled randomized clinical trial American Journal of Psychiatry December 5, 2017
and 14 more in the library