Title & Introduction
- Paper Title: Ketamine Use in a Large Global Sample: Characteristics, Patterns of Use, and Emergency Medical Treatment
- Published In: Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2024
- Authors: Karen P. Barrios, Dean J. Connolly, Jason A. Ferris, Larissa J. Maier, Monica J. Barratt, Adam R. Winstock, Cheneal Puljević, Gail Gilchrist
- Objective: To analyze global patterns of ketamine use, the socio-demographic profiles of users, patterns of use, and the occurrence of emergency medical treatment (EMT) following ketamine consumption.
- Importance: This study provides a comprehensive global view of ketamine usage patterns and related risks, contributing valuable insights for public health policies and harm reduction strategies.
Summary & Takeaways
Key Takeaway: Ketamine use is prevalent among younger populations and recreational settings, with a small fraction of cases leading to medical emergencies.
Practical Application: Harm reduction programs should target high-risk groups, emphasizing polysubstance use risks and the importance of seeking timely medical assistance.
Key Background Information
- Context: Ketamine, initially developed as an anesthetic, has expanded into both therapeutic and recreational uses. While its role in treating depression is promising, recreational use raises concerns about dependence and health risks.
- Hypothesis: Lifetime and past-year ketamine use correlate with socio-demographic factors and co-occurring substance use, affecting EMT incidence.
Methodology
- Study Design: Secondary analysis of the Global Drug Survey 2018 (cross-sectional, online).
- Participants: 130,761 respondents, with 5.93% reporting lifetime ketamine use.
- Intervention: Analysis of self-reported ketamine use patterns and associated emergency medical interventions.
- Controls: None; observational study.
- Duration: Survey conducted from November 2017 to January 2018.
Key Findings
Demographics:
- Majority of lifetime users were men (69%), heterosexual (76%), and white (91%), with a mean age of 27.4 years.
- Past-year users were younger (mean age 24.8 years), with higher odds among gay men and students.
Usage Patterns:
- Most common administration method: snorting (92%).
- Concurrent alcohol use was reported by 46%.
- Dependence rates: 8.55% of past-year users met ketamine dependence criteria.
Emergency Medical Treatment:
- Only 0.05% of use events led to EMT, suggesting low acute harm relative to usage frequency.
- 29 out of 4,933 respondents sought EMT for ketamine-related issues.
Interpretation & Implications
- Conclusion: Despite frequent use and some dependence, the incidence of EMT for ketamine is low. However, co-occurring substance use and associated risks warrant focused harm reduction strategies.
- Implications: Tailored interventions are necessary to address polysubstance use and educate users on potential interactions and long-term risks.
- Limitations: Cross-sectional design limits causal inference; reliance on self-reported data introduces potential biases.
Researchers & Publication
- Researchers: Karen P. Barrios, Dean J. Connolly, Jason A. Ferris, Larissa J. Maier, Monica J. Barratt, Adam R. Winstock, Cheneal Puljević, Gail Gilchrist
- Journal: Journal of Psychopharmacology
- Study URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811241273850
