Examining the Efficacy of Combining Psychotherapy and Ketamine Treatments for the Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adults
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Authors
Leitch, Austin
Issue Date
2025-10-28
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
ketamine , ketamine-assisted psychotherapy , ketamine-assisted therapy , ketamine therapy , psychedelic therapy , KAP , KAT
Alternative Title
Abstract
Emotional disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety, appear to be on the rise in Canada. Counselling, medication, and mental health information are the most common forms of mental health support offered in Canada, often with limited efficacy. Emerging research has shown that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be an effective treatment for clients with emotional disorders, especially those who have become treatment resistant. In this paper, a systematic review was completed that examined the efficacy of combining ketamine with psychotherapy for the treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and/or anxiety. The goal of this literature review is to determine the efficacy of combining ketamine with psychotherapy for the treatment of emotional disorders in adults and identify gaps in the literature that merit further investigation. Findings suggest that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be an effective treatment for emotional disorders in adults with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and/or anxiety. A limitation found across studies was that the length of time that relief lasted was variable, and often undetermined as there were inconsistencies in follow-up methods. While the initial findings of a reduction in symptoms from all the studies are promising, further research with control groups, larger sample sizes, consistent evidence-based psychotherapy modalities, consistent ketamine dosing protocols, and longer-term follow-up periods are merited.
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess