Ketamine and esketamine represent significant advancements for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Their rapid action provides much needed relief for patients who do not respond to traditional antidepressants. Their use, however, introduces challenges that necessitate ongoing research and careful consideration to maximize their potential, which Dr. Balwinder Singh, MD, MS, details in this podcast. Important challenges include unregulated or poorly monitored use of these potentially addictive products and risks related to the creation of compounded ketamine options.

Dr. Singh is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and the medical director of the mood program at the Mayo Clinic Depression Center. His guest editorial, titled "Ketamine and Esketamine for Depression in Daily Practice: Opportunities and Challenges," is published in the September-October 2024 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.