Ketamine for Anxiety

A recent study looked into the effectiveness of ketamine in treating social anxiety disorder. 18 adults who were diagnosed with DSM-5 social anxiety disorder were in a randomized, double-blind trial in which intravenous ketamine and a placebo were given to the participants. After two weeks, participants had a significant anxiety reduction when measured by the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). This gives us initial evidence that ketamine may be able to help patients with anxiety, especially if they have tried other medications and failed.