Dissertation Defence: Personalized Approaches to Mental Health Interventions: Effectiveness of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Psychological Conditions
March 31 at 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Nina Gregoire, supervised by Dr. Paul Davies, will defend their dissertation titled “Personalized Approaches to Mental Health Interventions: Effectiveness of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Psychological Conditions” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology – Psychological Sciences.
An abstract for Nina Gregoire’s dissertation is included below.
Examinations are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person exams.
ABSTRACT
Mental illness remains a leading cause of disability, with treatment-resistant conditions presenting significant challenges to clinicians and patients alike. This research explores the baseline characteristics, early treatment outcomes, and patient experiences of individuals undergoing ketamine-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant psychological conditions. Study 1 utilized latent profile analysis (LPA) on patients seeking ketamine treatment to identify three personality profiles and four symptom clusters. Personality and symptom profiles were associated with many meaningful baseline differences between participants, but were not associated with treatment outcomes; that is, ketamine-assisted therapy led to reductions in both depression and anxiety across the personality and symptom profiles. Trauma history, however, predicted greater improvements in both depression and anxiety following ketamine treatment. Study 2 examined patient-reported experiences, revealing high levels of satisfaction with the treatment, but significant barriers related to financial cost, accessibility, and post-treatment support. Together, these findings highlight the importance of tailoring ketamine-assisted therapy protocols to individual characteristics, emphasizing trauma-informed care, and addressing systemic inequities to enhance the accessibility and efficacy of this emerging therapy. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials to further refine personalized approaches to ketamine-assisted therapy.
