Does a nasal spray help when other depression meds fail?
Esketamine Treatment for Depression in Adults: A PRISMA Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Esketamine showed no significant effect on suicidality despite being FDA-approved for that indication.
Most people assume a drug approved for suicidal ideation must reduce suicide risk—this study directly contradicts that assumption.
Practical Takeaways
If you or someone you know is considering esketamine, ask: 'Is this for depression symptoms or suicide prevention?'—and know it only modestly helps the former.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Esketamine showed no significant effect on suicidality despite being FDA-approved for that indication.
Most people assume a drug approved for suicidal ideation must reduce suicide risk—this study directly contradicts that assumption.
Practical Takeaways
If you or someone you know is considering esketamine, ask: 'Is this for depression symptoms or suicide prevention?'—and know it only modestly helps the former.
Publication
Journal
The American journal of psychiatry
Year
2025
Authors
K. Fountoulakis, Athanasios Saitis, A. Schatzberg
Related Content
Claims (4)
When people with severe depression that hasn’t responded to regular antidepressants get a nasal spray called esketamine along with their usual meds, they tend to feel a little better after a few weeks—about as much as if they added a different type of psychiatric pill.
Taking esketamine through the nose doesn't seem to make suicidal thoughts any better or worse in adults with severe depression that hasn't responded to other treatments, no matter when they checked.
For people with depression that hasn’t responded to other treatments, a nasal spray called esketamine helps a little bit — and it works about as well as adding another type of psychiatric medication.
A nasal spray called esketamine can help people with severe depression that didn’t respond to other treatments, by fixing how brain cells talk to each other and helping them form better connections.