Navigating ‘k-land’: a qualitative exploration of participants’ experiences of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder - Summary - MDSpire
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Navigating ‘k-land’: a qualitative exploration of participants’ experiences of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder
To explore how participants experienced, interpreted, and evaluated ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) for methamphetamine use disorder (MAUD).
Approach:
Study Design: Qualitative study embedded within an open-label pilot trial of KAP for MAUD.
Participants: Fourteen participants who completed core components of the intervention.
Data Collection: Semi-structured interviews following treatment to explore motivations, experiences, and perceptions.
Data Analysis: Reflexive thematic analysis to identify interrelated themes.
Key Findings:
Participants had prior treatment experiences with limited benefits and were open to a novel approach.
A structured and supportive context was crucial for participant engagement.
Ketamine sessions led to reduced emotional and cognitive reactivity, described as a 'psychological space'.
Behavioral changes in methamphetamine use were variable and dependent on ongoing therapeutic engagement and personal motivation.
Interpretation:
KAP was experienced as a multi-stage, context-dependent process rather than a standalone treatment. Ketamine facilitated a temporary state that supported psychotherapy engagement, but sustained change relied on integrating these experiences into ongoing processes.
Limitations:
Small sample size limits generalizability.
Participants expressed uncertainty about the attribution of changes to ketamine, psychotherapy, or contextual factors.
Conclusion:
Further research is needed to clarify mechanisms and optimize intervention design in KAP for MAUD.
by Kathryn Fletcher, Nadine Ezard, Krista J. Siefried, Sophie van der Helder, Jack Freestone, Jonathan Brett, Robert May, Liam Acheson, Brendan Clifford
In a target-trial emulation of more than 600,000 veterans, GLP-1 RA initiators saw fewer new substance use disorders—and patients with existing SUDs had fewer overdoses, hospitalizations, and deaths.
