Ketamine for suicidal ideations in severe depression
Adesh University Journal of Medical Sciences & Research September 25, 2025 Rakesh Garg, Gurmeet Kaur Brar, Manpreet K. Singh
A 38-year-old woman with recurrent depression and active suicidal thoughts, who had not improved on multiple medications, received a ketamine infusion. Before treatment, her depression severity score was 33 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). After one session, the score dropped to 23 and her suicidal ideation notably decreased. Ketamine acts through NMDA receptor blockade and modulation of glutamatergic transmission, a mechanism distinct from standard antidepressants. This case suggests ketamine can provide rapid symptom relief in severe depression with suicidality and is tolerable at sub-anesthetic doses.