Ketamine Infusion Therapy, Adolescent Depression & Suicidality

If you or someone you know has a teenager who is struggling with depression, there are some options for treatment that you should be aware of.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recently released the results of a 2011-2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey which revealed some very disturbing information about the mental health of teens in this country. According to the report, 3 in 5 high school girls felt “persistently sad or hopeless” in 2021. This number is double that for boys of the same age and represents a 57% increase in depressive symptoms over the past decade.

Unquestionably, the isolation of the pandemic played a part in this increase, but the symptoms are proving to be persistent. These young and vulnerable adolescents are the future of our culture and our country and everything possible needs to be done to alleviate their burden. Too often, the usual antidepressant agents are inadequate at providing relief.

Human brains are not fully developed until the age of 25, so teens are dealing with complex social and internal problems with fewer resources than mature adults. Feelings, perceptions, fears, and ambitions are all exaggerated and the young brain’s ability to explain and solve problems is limited.

One in five teens considered that ending their life was a reasonable solution to their pain and confusion with about 9% trying to end their life. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the 15–24-year-old age group although one in three teens are prescribed medications for their depression.

While not all suicide is preceded by clear depressive symptoms, a significant percentage of attempts have depressive warning signs. What do families look for and how can they help? Some of the behaviors are like those found in adults; withdrawal from family and friends, expressions of negativity about life and the future, disruptions in sleep cycles and eating, and lack of joy and engagement in daily life.

It can be more difficult to discriminate between predictable adolescent rebellion and depression but when negative behavior and expressions become the predominant emotion and disengagement from people and activities that used to bring happiness predominate, even though they are being treated, further intervention may be warranted.

Ketamine infusions have been extensively researched in adults for over twenty years. The studies for its use in teens are limited but like adults, the overall response is positive (73%). Investigators at Yale University Department of Psychiatry have an ongoing study in 13–17-year olds receiving Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression and suicide risk scheduled to end in 2024.

At Georgia Renew Clinics, we have administered Ketamine safely to struggling and despondent teens with outcomes like those seen in our adult population, about 80%. The decision to treat adolescents is made in conjunction with their treating physicians and necessarily involves an interview with the patient and guardians.

Contact us today to discuss if ketamine treatments are right for your adolescent.