Infusing hope into the treatment of suicidality: A review of ketamine's effects on suicidality.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Given recent increases in rates of suicide and lack of rapid treatments for suicidality, ketamine has been identified as a potential fast-acting anti-suicidal treatment. Our review seeks to describe the effects of ketamine on suicidality, given the growing literature on the use of ketamine in reducing suicidality. We examine open-label studies and randomized controlled trials evaluating treatment of suicidality with ketamine. Furthermore, our manuscript identifies potential mechanisms of ketamine's effects on suicidality.

Recent findings: Based on existing RCTs, ketamine appears to have rapid anti-suicidal effects, with most literature studying such effects in timeframes less than one week. Although still in the early stages of research, mechanisms of ketamine include modulation of molecular, inflammatory, neural, cognitive, and behavioral processes.

Summary: Thus, ketamine appears to be a promising treatment for suicidality, but requires larger scale and more robust RCTs to confirm the potential use of this agent in clinical settings.