Treating job-related stress with psychedelic group therapy: a case series on group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for healthcare workers and first responders
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology October 1, 2025 Luke Flynn, Martin Krsak, Mary Rondeau et al.
A group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program for frontline healthcare workers and first responders reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and burnout. Median scores on the GAD-7 (anxiety) dropped from 9.5 to 6, PHQ-9 (depression) from 12 to 5, and PCL-5 (trauma) from 27 to 10, all with statistically significant improvements. The Maslach Burnout Inventory also improved across all subcomponents. The seven-week program included three ketamine sessions and four group psychotherapy sessions. Adverse events were rare, suggesting this model may be a viable intervention for job-related stress, though larger controlled studies are needed.