Silver Hill Hospital Launches Outpatient Ketamine Treatment Program for Depression
Silver Hill Hospital, one of the nation's premier psychiatric hospitals, has opened its Ketamine Treatment Program, bringing a powerful therapeutic intervention to patients with treatment-resistant depression. With this opening, Silver Hill joins a select number of hospitals with comprehensive mental health services administering ketamine treatment.
Thirty percent of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder experience treatment-resistant depression, meaning they have not responded well to at least two other methods of medication or therapy. In recent years, ketamine has emerged as an effective depression treatment for this patient population, delivering comparable results to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Silver Hill's Ketamine Treatment Program includes a carefully tailored, science-backed course of intravenous ketamine treatments administered under the supervision of an experienced medical team over the course of several weeks.
"There's a growing body of research demonstrating ketamine's ability to alleviate symptoms of depression, and the patients we've worked with are experiencing the benefits in the form of decreased negative thinking and improved mood, sometimes after just a few sessions," said William Prueitt, M.D., Director of the Ketamine Treatment Program at Silver Hill. "Ketamine works differently than other antidepressants and is often effective for patients that have not improved with other medications."
Silver Hill's Ketamine Treatment Program is designed for patients 18 and older with moderate to severe depression who have been unresponsive to at least two prior antidepressant medication treatments. The tailored approach begins with a thorough psychiatric evaluation to develop an appropriate, personalized treatment plan. Patients then receive a structured course of ketamine infusions administered and monitored twice weekly by a team of medical professionals. Following an initial four-week treatment course, patients will receive tapered maintenance doses to promote more lasting effects.
In keeping with the environment of restorative care at Silver Hill, the Ketamine Treatment Program was deliberately designed to maximize comfort conducive to healing. Treatments are administered in a secure, relaxing patient setting, including soft lighting, reclining chairs, noise-canceling headphones, and other amenities, all under the continuous care and monitoring of a team of specially trained nurses and psychiatrists.
"At Silver Hill Hospital, we're always looking for and evaluating new, clinically validated therapies to expand the options available to patients with complex mental health diagnoses," said Andrew J. Gerber, M.D., Ph.D., President and Medical Director of Silver Hill Hospital. "With our research-backed protocol, expert medical staff, and the oversight of Dr. Prueitt, the Ketamine Treatment Program is poised to help patients who have not responded to more traditional depression treatment methods and may have been losing hope."
The Silver Hill Hospital Ketamine Treatment Program is available to outpatients, as well as inpatients and residential patients, and it is now accepting referrals.
About Silver Hill Hospital
Established in 1931, Silver Hill Hospital is a nationally recognized leader in the treatment of psychiatric and addiction disorders. The Hospital has 21 full-time board-certified psychiatrists and admits more than 3,000 adolescents and adults annually for disorders that include addiction, depression, trauma, anxiety, bipolar disorder, personality disorders and schizophrenia, among others. Located on 44 scenic acres in New Canaan, Connecticut, the Hospital is especially known for its expertise in treating complex conditions and co-occurring disorders in adults and adolescents. www.silverhillhospital.org
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