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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Can Ketamine Rapidly Reduce Suicidal Ideation?

Written by AM | Jun 23, 2017 12:00:00 AM

As seen on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) afsp.org Website

Suicide is preventable, yet still remains a worldwide cause of death in part due to a lack of available medical interventions that can work during a suicidal crisis. Most potentially helpful medications take days or weeks to work: time that is not feasible in an emergency. Novel biological targets and interventions are urgently needed for those in such pain that they are at risk of taking their life.

Ketamine, a commonly used anesthetic, has shown rapid therapeutic effects as an antidepressant for those with depression, especially when the depression is resistant to treatment. The antidepressant effect is rapid, and many have wondered if Ketamine could have the same effect specifically for suicidal behavior. This has yet to be examined in larger studies over an extended period of time.

 

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