Ketamine (C13H16CINO), primarily used as an anaesthetic agent during medical operations and considered to be the notorious ‘K-drug’ in rave culture, was in the news in late 2021 as it was found to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. Known to have dissociative properties, ketamine can relieve pain, induce hallucinations or trance-like states and can be dangerous if used for recreational purposes, which is why it is used under strict legal conditions in India and in other countries. While medical researchers have been studying ketamine therapy since the 1960s and 1970s, it gained traction in the early 2000s as a treatment against depression. 

According to the World Health Organisation, the National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 in India revealed that nearly 15 percent of Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues and one in 20 Indians suffers from depression. The pandemic has further added to the mental health woes of many younger and older adults. A recent research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Open, found that single or multiple doses of ketamine resulted in reduction of suicidal thoughts; the effect of which lasted up to two weeks.