Infusing Hope Into the Treatment of Suicidality: a Review of Ketamine’s Effects on Suicidality

Purpose of Review Given recent increases in rates of suicide and lack of rapid treatments for suicidality, ketamine has been identified as a potential fast-acting anti-suicidal treatment. Our review seeks to describe the effects of ketamine on suicidality, given the growing literature on the use of ketamine in reducing suicidality. We examine open-label studies and randomized controlled trials evaluating the treatment of suicidality with ketamine. Furthermore, our manuscript identifies potential mechanisms of ketamine’s effects on suicidality.