A Pilot Study Comparing a Community of Practice Program with and without Concurrent Ketamine-Assisted Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Psychiatry
• Therapeutic Modalities

Background:

• Rising rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD among healthcare providers.
• Limited effectiveness of conventional treatments for these conditions.
• Emerging interest in ketamine-assisted therapy as an alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a Community of Practice (CoP) group therapy program for healthcare providers.
• To assess the impact of optional, adjunct ketamine on depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms.
• To explore the integration of ketamine with group-based therapeutic modalities.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of a 12-week pilot program involving 57 healthcare providers.
• All participants engaged in weekly CoP group therapy.
• 38 participants received three adjunct ketamine sessions.
• Symptom assessment using PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PCL-5 at baseline and completion.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and PTSD (PCL-5) symptoms across all participants.
• Mean PHQ-9 score decrease: 6.79 (p < .001).
• Mean GAD-7 score decrease: 5.57 (p < .001).
• Mean PCL-5 score decrease: 14.83 (p < .001).
• Larger, though not statistically significant, symptom reductions observed in participants receiving adjunct ketamine.

Conclusions:

• The Community of Practice group therapy demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing mental health symptoms among healthcare providers.
• Adjunct ketamine may enhance treatment outcomes in group settings, but further research is needed.
• This pilot study supports the potential of integrated therapeutic approaches for clinician mental well-being.