Efficacy of ketamine for major depressive episodes at 2, 4, and 6-weeks post-treatment: A meta-analysis

Rationale Major depressive episodes are severe mood episodes which occur both in major depressive disorder and bipolar I and II disorder. Major depressive episodes are characterized by debilitating symptoms that often persist and interfere with typical daily functioning. Various treatments exist for major depressive episodes; however, most primary pharmacologic treatments may take weeks to months to provide relief from depressive symptoms. Ketamine is a demonstrated treatment for major depressive episodes, as relief from depressive symptoms can occur rapidly following treatment. Objectives Prior meta-analyses have been conducted to analyze the effectiveness of ketamine for the treatment of major depressive episodes, but at the time of this writing, no meta-analysis had been conducted to observe ketamine treatment efficacy beyond 2 weeks. Methods The present meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of ketamine for the treatment of major depressive episodes; observations of depressive episode severity were analyzed at 2, 4, and 6-weeks post-treatment. Results The present meta-analysis observed large effects at 2 weeks (g = -1.28), 4 weeks, (g = -1.28), and 6 weeks (g = -1.36) post-treatment. Conclusions The results from the present meta-analysis indicate that ketamine can be an effective pharmacologic intervention for major depressive episodes, with treatment effects lasting up to 6 weeks post-ketamine administration, which has many positive implications for treatment.