Huntsman Mental Health Institute

Huntsman Mental Health Institute, part of University of Utah Health, offers IV ketamine infusion therapy in Salt Lake City for patients with treatment-resistant depression who have not benefitted from antidepressant medications, with early studies showing response in 60 to 70 percent of patients. Ketamine is administered through the Treatment Resistant Mood Disorder Clinic at a much smaller dose and shorter duration than used for anesthesia.

Infusions are given over about 40 minutes, typically twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays for up to six treatments, with continuous monitoring by a nurse and doctor. Relief can be immediate, especially for suicidal feelings, though most patients experience one to two weeks of relief per infusion. Patients are screened carefully, must be referred by a psychiatrist, and need to arrange a driver home.

As one of the nation's top academic medical centers, HMHI also offers ketamine-assisted psychotherapy through its Park City Behavioral Health Clinic, integrating ketamine doses with talk therapy. Additional treatments for treatment-resistant mood disorders include TMS and ECT.