Ketamine has been used as an anesthetic for 30 years, and it’s infamous as a party drug. But now it’s become a promising treatment for teens who haven’t responded to other treatment for depression. Taken in a doctor’s office, ketamine can induce hallucinations and dissociation — feeling disconnected from your body and surroundings. It can also relieve depression symptoms quickly — often within an hour — which makes it especially valuable for kids at risk for suicide.

This week we take a close look at ketamine treatment, which the FDA has approved for adults and testing has shown to be safe for adolescents. Patients usually do a session twice a week for several weeks, and then taper off with less frequent sessions. We also round up other relatively new treatments for depression: TMS (a form of magnetic brain stimulation) and two kinds of therapy that help kids deal with overwhelming emotions, DBT and ACT. And we explore why depressed kids can seem more angry and irritable than sad and why depressed Black teenagers are often misdiagnosed.

– Caroline Miller, Editorial Director | ✉