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Ketamine vs. ECT: which stops suicidal thoughts faster?

NCT ID NCT06034821

Disease control Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only This study
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study compares two treatments—electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and intravenous ketamine—for quickly reversing acute suicidal depression in 1,500 adults aged 18 to 90. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either ECT or ketamine twice a week for up to four weeks. The main goal is to see which treatment reduces suicidal thoughts more effectively and safely.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
ketamine (intravenous infusion)
What this could lead to
If this trial succeeds, it could show that ketamine is as good as or better than ECT for quickly stopping suicidal thoughts, offering a less invasive treatment option.
What could go wrong
This is a large Phase 4 study, but it's open-label (no placebo), so results may be biased. Ketamine can cause side effects like dissociation and blood pressure changes, and not everyone may respond.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

About 1,500 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Oct 2023

Expected to finish

Dec 2030

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 90 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Considered by a clinician as appropriate for referral to treatment services for rapid reversal of acute suicidal depression. 2. Adults 18 - 90 years of age. 3. Meet DSM-5 criteria for Major Depressive Episode (MDE) as determined by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI PLUS 5.0.0). 4. Acute suicidal ideation or behavior (thinking or behavior suggesting harming or hurting oneself with knowledge that death may result) or attempt (any intentional, non-fatal self-injury regardless of medical lethality, if intent to die was indicated). \* 5. Continue to express suicidal ideation since referral as evidenced by Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) ≥6)\*\* 6. Meet the following criteria on symptom rating scales at screening: 1. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D 17) \>15 2. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) of ≥23(to rule out baseline significant cognitive impairment) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Meeting DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder. 2. Not able to give informed consent to receive ECT or KET treatment. 3. Not able to give informed consent to participate in the study. 4. Meet exclusion criteria for ECT treatment as described in guidelines. 5. Meet exclusion criteria for KET treatment such as: 1. Pregnant or breast feeding 2. Satisfying DSM-V criteria of current Mood Depressive Disorder Episode with Psychotic Features (i.e. delusions of hallucinations) 3. Severe uncontrolled medical illness 4. Ketamine allergy 6. Intellectual disability and unable to provide consent or follow study procedures.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Acute suicidal depression (ASD)

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    10 sites in 2 countries. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Center for Addiction and Mental Health (University of Toronto)

    Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1H4, Canada

  • Cleveland Clinic

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States

  • Johns Hopkins University

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States

  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

  • McLean Hospital

    Belmont, Massachusetts, 02478, United States

  • Mount Sinai School of Medicine

    New York, New York, 10029, United States

  • UC San Francisco

    San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

  • UTHealth Houston

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

  • University of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

  • University of Utah

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84132, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.