Ketamine infusions can eliminate acute suicidal thoughts, with short infusions being particularly effective for people with bipolar disorder. Suicidal thoughts are a psychiatric emergency that is difficult to treat, with many patients rejecting hospitalization and medication for depression often taking weeks to take effect. Researchers have been searching for alternative treatments, and studies have shown that short infusions of ketamine can relieve depressive thoughts in many patients. The disassociative anesthetic can prevent suicide in people with suicidal thoughts, with its effects setting in after just a few hours. In a study published in the BMJ, researchers administered two short infusions of ketamine or saline solution to 156 participants with suicidal thoughts in addition to their normal therapy. The goal was to achieve a score of three or less on the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) by the third day, indicating the absence of suicidal thoughts. The results showed that 63% of participants in the ketamine group achieved remission of suicidal thoughts, compared to only 31.6% in the control group. The effects of ketamine lasted for several weeks, but subsequent psychological or medication therapy was still necessary.
The study also found that ketamine was most effective in patients with bipolar disorder, with 84.6% achieving remission of suicidal thoughts. In contrast, only 28% of patients with bipolar disorder in the placebo group achieved remission. For patients with major depression, ketamine infusions resulted in remission of suicidal thoughts in 42.3% of cases, compared to 35.7% in the control group. However, the study also showed that ketamine cannot completely prevent suicide attempts, with 8.2% of participants in the ketamine group attempting suicide during the study. The results suggest that ketamine can be used as a short-term therapy for suicidal thoughts, but subsequent treatment is still necessary for long-term recovery.
Overall, the study provides hope for patients with suicidal thoughts who have not responded to traditional treatments. Ketamine infusions offer a promising alternative, with their rapid onset of action and high remission rates. However, further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of ketamine and its potential side effects.
