Reply to ‘Methodological concerns and interpretative limitations of assessing subjective effects of ketamine’
Jack D. C. Dahan, David Dadiomov, Tijmen Bostoen, Albert Dahan
npj Mental Health Research September 22, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s44184-026-00241-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Key points | Argues that variation in accompanying psychotherapy and in subjective-effect questionnaires across studies may partly explain the treatment differences observed in the original meta-analysis, and that these are important limitations. Calls for future research using standardized, multidimensional measures of subjective experience. |
Abstract
This response addresses methodological concerns raised regarding our meta-analysis of subjective effects and therapeutic outcomes following ketamine and psilocybin treatment. We discuss the potential influence of psychotherapy and differences in subjective-effect questionnaires across studies, acknowledging these as important limitations. We argue that these factors may partly explain observed treatment differences and highlight the need for future studies using standardized, multidimensional measures of subjective experience.
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Meta-correlation of the effect of ketamine and psilocybin induced subjective effects on therapeutic outcome. npj Mental Health Research October 6, 2024
- Mystical Experience Induced by Esketamine Treatment: A Real-World Observational Study medRxiv Preprint Server March 31, 2026
- Overmystifying the Psychedelic Experience JAMA Psychiatry 2026