Ketamine shows rapid antidepressant effect in large analysis

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By Olivia Bowthorpe

Intravenous ketamine may rapidly reduce both suicidal thoughts and depressive symptoms in people experiencing a major depressive episode, with effects appearing within hours of treatment, a large analysis has found.

The results suggest that ketamine "may be considered an off-label treatment for those at risk of suicidal behaviours or those not responding to other treatments for depression”, the US researchers reported in JAMA Psychiatry.