Attitudes and Perceptions of Portuguese Psychiatrists and Psychologists on the Clinical Use of Ketamine
Introduction: Ketamine has garnered attention for its rapid efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant depression, offering a novel mechanism as a non-monoaminergic agent. Despite its potential, limited research has explored mental health professionals’ perspectives on its u...
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Ordem dos Médicos
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Acta Médica Portuguesa |
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| Online Access: | https://actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/22815 |
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| author | Pedro Mota Jorge Encantado Laura C. Carvalho Catarina Cunha Albert Garcia-Romeu Matthew W. Johnson Pedro J. Teixeira |
| author_facet | Pedro Mota Jorge Encantado Laura C. Carvalho Catarina Cunha Albert Garcia-Romeu Matthew W. Johnson Pedro J. Teixeira |
| author_sort | Pedro Mota |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Introduction: Ketamine has garnered attention for its rapid efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant depression, offering a novel mechanism as a non-monoaminergic agent. Despite its potential, limited research has explored mental health professionals’ perspectives on its use. This study assesses the attitudes, knowledge, and concerns of Portuguese psychiatrists and psychologists regarding the clinical application of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted from June 2022 to January 2024 among Portuguese psychiatrists and psychologists. The anonymous online questionnaire assessed perceptions of ketamine’s therapeutic utility, risks, and knowledge sources. Statistical analyses examined subgroup differences by age, sex, profession, and prior psychedelic use.
Results: Among 156 participants (mean age = 37.2; 68.6% female), 53.8% were psychologists, and 46.2% were psychiatrists or trainees in Psychiatry. Only 35.9% reported substantial knowledge of ketamine’s therapeutic potential, while 59% were open to integrating it clinically. The majority expressed interest in training, though 73% raised concerns about inadequate professional training. Significant differences emerged, with psychiatrists reporting higher knowledge levels and openness to ketamine compared to psychologists, while younger professionals showed greater interest in training and usage.
Conclusion: There was a favorable attitude toward ketamine use among Portuguese psychiatrists and psychologists, yet substantial educational gaps remain. Customized training addressing age, sex, and professional background is essential for safe and effective clinical integration of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Further studies should focus on longitudinal outcomes of ketamine treatment under standardized protocols to ensure efficacy and safety in clinical practice.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e09d5907530d4ffa8a531ac2ba106dfe |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0870-399X 1646-0758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Ordem dos Médicos |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Médica Portuguesa |
| spelling | doaj-art-e09d5907530d4ffa8a531ac2ba106dfe2025-08-20T02:28:09ZengOrdem dos MédicosActa Médica Portuguesa0870-399X1646-07582025-05-0138510.20344/amp.22815Attitudes and Perceptions of Portuguese Psychiatrists and Psychologists on the Clinical Use of KetaminePedro Mota0Jorge Encantado1Laura C. Carvalho2Catarina Cunha3Albert Garcia-Romeu4Matthew W. Johnson5Pedro J. Teixeira6Casa de Saúde de Santa Catarina. Porto. Portugal; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS). Universidade do Minho. Braga. Portugal.Centro Interdisciplinar de Estudo da Performance Humana. Faculdade de Motricidade Humana. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisbon. Portugal.Centro Interdisciplinar de Estudo da Performance Humana. Faculdade de Motricidade Humana. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisbon. Portugal.Hospital de Magalhães Lemos. Unidade Local de Saúde de Santo António. Porto. Portugal.Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Baltimore. Maryland. United States of America.Center for Excellence in Psilocybin Research and Treatment. Baltimore. Maryland. United States of America.Centro Interdisciplinar de Estudo da Performance Humana. Faculdade de Motricidade Humana. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisbon. Portugal. Introduction: Ketamine has garnered attention for its rapid efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant depression, offering a novel mechanism as a non-monoaminergic agent. Despite its potential, limited research has explored mental health professionals’ perspectives on its use. This study assesses the attitudes, knowledge, and concerns of Portuguese psychiatrists and psychologists regarding the clinical application of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted from June 2022 to January 2024 among Portuguese psychiatrists and psychologists. The anonymous online questionnaire assessed perceptions of ketamine’s therapeutic utility, risks, and knowledge sources. Statistical analyses examined subgroup differences by age, sex, profession, and prior psychedelic use. Results: Among 156 participants (mean age = 37.2; 68.6% female), 53.8% were psychologists, and 46.2% were psychiatrists or trainees in Psychiatry. Only 35.9% reported substantial knowledge of ketamine’s therapeutic potential, while 59% were open to integrating it clinically. The majority expressed interest in training, though 73% raised concerns about inadequate professional training. Significant differences emerged, with psychiatrists reporting higher knowledge levels and openness to ketamine compared to psychologists, while younger professionals showed greater interest in training and usage. Conclusion: There was a favorable attitude toward ketamine use among Portuguese psychiatrists and psychologists, yet substantial educational gaps remain. Customized training addressing age, sex, and professional background is essential for safe and effective clinical integration of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Further studies should focus on longitudinal outcomes of ketamine treatment under standardized protocols to ensure efficacy and safety in clinical practice. https://actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/22815Attitude of Health PersonnelDepressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant/drug therapyKetamine/therapeutic useSurveys and Questionnaires |
| spellingShingle | Pedro Mota Jorge Encantado Laura C. Carvalho Catarina Cunha Albert Garcia-Romeu Matthew W. Johnson Pedro J. Teixeira Attitudes and Perceptions of Portuguese Psychiatrists and Psychologists on the Clinical Use of Ketamine Acta Médica Portuguesa Attitude of Health Personnel Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant/drug therapy Ketamine/therapeutic use Surveys and Questionnaires |
| title | Attitudes and Perceptions of Portuguese Psychiatrists and Psychologists on the Clinical Use of Ketamine |
| title_full | Attitudes and Perceptions of Portuguese Psychiatrists and Psychologists on the Clinical Use of Ketamine |
| title_fullStr | Attitudes and Perceptions of Portuguese Psychiatrists and Psychologists on the Clinical Use of Ketamine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attitudes and Perceptions of Portuguese Psychiatrists and Psychologists on the Clinical Use of Ketamine |
| title_short | Attitudes and Perceptions of Portuguese Psychiatrists and Psychologists on the Clinical Use of Ketamine |
| title_sort | attitudes and perceptions of portuguese psychiatrists and psychologists on the clinical use of ketamine |
| topic | Attitude of Health Personnel Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant/drug therapy Ketamine/therapeutic use Surveys and Questionnaires |
| url | https://actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/22815 |
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