A comparison between patients who suffer from major depression and are treated with Esketamine – one group participates in group therapy and the other one does not

Abstract

Introduction Major depressive disorder is present in approximately 7% of the general population. There are some patients that remain treatment-resistant - patients who were treated with two or more different medications and did not demonstrate any improvement in their mental state. These patients can be treated with a new treatment – Esketamine. The recommended Esketamine treatment protocol includes 8-treatment sessions, each session lasts about two hours. In our clinic, we added a therapy group after each treatment. The therapy group is led by two co-therapist and lasts 30 minutes. The patients are invited to share their experiences from the session, their thoughts and emotions. Objectives The study that we will present was conducted in the Esketamine treatment unit at a psychiatric hospital. There were two groups - 1. A group whose treatment included a therapeutic group at the end of each Esketamine treatment (n=30); 2. A group whose treatments did not include a therapeutic group at the end of the Esketamine treatment (n=30). Methods The current study examines the role of the therapeutic group. It compares between the standard treatment protocol, with and without a therapeutic group. All participants completed three questionnaires, about their emotions, three times during the treatment (before the first session, after 4 sessions and after 8 sessions). Results We will present first results as well as vignette to demonstrate. Conclusions The expectation is to find a better patient experience and a better insight about the clinical changes following the Esketamine treatment, in the group which participates in the therapy group Disclosure No significant relationships.

Keywords

• resistance
• major depression
• esketamine
• group therapy