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

Can Ketamine Therapy rapidly reduce suicidal ideation? According to one clinical trial performed by Dr. James Murrough, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, this novel medical intervention may have a major impact saving lives by disrupting the suicidal crisis.

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.

This clinical study by Dr. Murrough is one of the first demonstrations showing the rapid therapeutic effects of Ketamine as an intervention for those with increased suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior. The participants who received Ketamine treatment showed significantly lower suicidal ideation than those who received the control treatment. Results are promising regarding the rapid effects of Ketamine for reducing depression and suicidal ideation.

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.