Conclusion: The study findings suggest that esketamine's efficacy as an add-on to antidepressants is modest in treatment-resistant depression (similar to augmentation strategies with atypical antipsychotics) and is absent against suicidality itself. These findings need to be considered in light of esketamine's abuse potential and the fact that long-term effects are still not fully known. Some alarming signs concerning deaths and emerging suicidality during the testing phase are discussed, along with other regulatory issues.
Does Ketamine help with mood?
Yes, for most people. 97% of 62 people who reported on Ketamine for mood say it improved. 3% noticed no change and 0% say it got worse. That is above the typical result for mood (84% across 108 options).
Mood: what users report
97%better62 reports · medium confidence
60 better2 no change0 worse
Ranked #3 of 108 for mood.
What people say about Ketamine and mood
“One thing that has really helped me tremendously, without the nasty side effects of SSRIs, is Ketamine infusions.”
“killed my anxiety and elevated my mood a lot when it stopped acting...had an abnormality on my kidneys (elevated creatinine)”
“I don't know much about ketamine, but it helps my depression better than anything I've ever tried.”
“At first, it worked extremely well. The treatment was genuinely life-changing for me. But over the past several months, the infusions seem to have lost almost all of their therapeutic effect.”
What the research says
AResearch: Strong854 meta-analyses · 1,957 trials on PubMed
Am J Psychiatry · 2025
Esketamine Treatment for Depression in Adults: A PRISMA Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisJ Affect Disord · 2021
Comparative efficacy of racemic ketamine and esketamine for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysisConclusion: Intravenous ketamine appears to be more efficacious than intranasal esketamine for the treatment of depression.
J Psychiatr Res · 2022
Real-world effectiveness of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review & meta-analysisSide effects people mention
dissociation 2headache 1fatigue 1insomnia 1weakness 1
What else is Ketamine used for?
Information only — not medical advice. How we count