A pivotal 2018 randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, titled “Rapid Reduction in Suicidal Thoughts After Ketamine Infusion in Treatment-Resistant Depression,” explored this very question. The study investigated whether a single ketamine infusion could rapidly reduce suicidal thinking in patients who had not responded to stan..

The study followed participants for up to six weeks, and while the anti-suicidal effects were most pronounced in the first few days post-infusion, some participants maintained improvements beyond the first week.