The Gold Coast University hospital is one of a few publicly funded clinics nationwide researching the use of the drug ketamine as a mental health treatment. After years of studies with some promising outcomes it's proving to help in the treatment of depression and another serious mental illness.
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00:00 After decades with treatment resistant depression, Angela Neal feels relief with a weekly dose
00:07 of Ketamine.
00:10 You feel quite funny, sort of out of your body for a little while.
00:14 It's providing her with some hope.
00:16 You start to think in different ways. The sad thoughts that go round and round tend
00:22 to stop. You're more flexible in your mind.
00:26 Dr Shanti Sarma is behind the Queensland Health Program that's making the Ketamine available
00:31 for free to a select group at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
00:35 She co-authored a study which found it works for 20% of those involved.
00:40 These people who've had really, really difficult to treat depression that haven't responded
00:45 to the normal treatments and who are having a significant impact on their quality of life.
00:51 Ketamine can be administered in different ways and it's only being trialled for people
00:56 in Angela's position. But it is very expensive for patients outside of trials and special
01:02 programs. Doctors say that could change with more research.
01:06 The reports continue to show positive results and I think we would be much more likely to
01:12 support having Ketamine registered as an accepted treatment under Medicare.
01:18 Ketamine is used illegally as a party drug and overdoses can be fatal. Doctors say it
01:23 should be used alongside traditional treatments and only for people who pass health tests.
01:28 It's been really heartening to see some new novel agents and treatments available for
01:33 people who've been suffering for a very long time.
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