Chronic pain is a complex condition lasting more than three months that affects millions of people and severely impacts quality of life. It includes multiple forms such as neuropathic, musculoskeletal, cancer-related and post-surgical pain, often without a clearly identifiable cause. Conventional treatments like anti-inflammatories and opioids show limited efficacy or significant risks. Growing evidence supports ketamine as a safe and effective option, offering sustained pain reduction and enabling multidisciplinary approaches that combine medical, psychological and rehabilitative interventions for long-term functional improvement.

Suicidal ideation represents a major public health concern and requires rapid, effective intervention. Conventional treatments such as antidepressants and psychotherapy often act too slowly for high-risk patients. Recent clinical evidence shows that ketamine can significantly reduce suicidal ideation within hours or days, particularly in individuals with bipolar disorder. Randomized controlled studies demonstrate higher remission rates compared to placebo, without worsening symptoms. Although further long-term research is needed, ketamine emerges as a valuable tool for suicide prevention in acute and high-risk clinical situations.

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic synthesized in 1962 that has become a key compound in modern mental health research. Acting primarily as a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine increases glutamate signaling, promotes synaptogenesis, and enhances neuroplasticity. It also interacts with opioid, serotonergic, muscarinic, and adrenergic receptors, and increases BDNF expression. These combined mechanisms help explain its rapid antidepressant effects, while ongoing research continues to clarify why some patients respond and others do not, and how dosage and context influence therapeutic outcomes.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves intrusive memories, hyperarousal, dissociation, avoidance, and high comorbidity with depression, anxiety, and substance use. Standard treatments combine psychotherapy and antidepressants, yet remission rates remain low. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is emerging as a promising adjunct, targeting glutamatergic dysfunction, enhancing neural connectivity, and enabling therapeutic processing of traumatic memories from altered states of consciousness. Clinical studies show rapid symptom reduction after ketamine infusions, though effects may be transient and protocols require optimization. Careful screening is essential, as recent trauma may represent a contraindication.

The “Talk Openly about Mental Health” project brings mental health conversations into the public space of Gràcia, Barcelona, giving voice to lived experiences and professional perspectives. In the edition focused on mental health and drugs, Estefanía Moreno represented Clínica Synaptica with a talk on ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. The event combined clinical insights, community dialogue, and artistic expression, fostering openness, reflection, and a shared commitment to reducing stigma around mental health.