Nearly half of people who are affected by ketamine use disorder are not seeking any support or treatment, according to a new study led by the University of Exeter and University College London (UCL).
The study, which is supported by NIHR and published in the journal Addiction, is the largest of its kind to ‘explore the experience of people currently living with ketamine addiction in-depth’, says the University of Exeter. Researchers studied more than 270 people through both interviews and questionnaires, with many respondents saying they were unaware of the risks of dependency until their use was already out of control – one referred to the drug as ‘the heroin of a generation’. Many also said they felt ‘too embarrassed’ to seek treatment.
Ketamine use in the UK has reached ‘record levels’, with 269,000 adults reporting using it in the year to March 2024. The drug was controlled as a class C substance in 2006 and then reclassified as class B in 2014, on the recommendation of the ACMD. However the Home Office is currently seeking the ACMD’s advice on whether to reclassify it as class A.
Sixty per cent of the people studied in the new report had experienced bladder or nasal problems, with 56 per cent reporting organ cramping – ‘K cramps’ – which can often mean people then using more of the drug for pain relief. Almost 60 per cent of participants in the study felt there was ‘definitely not’ enough awareness of the risks associated with ketamine use, which can include the need for a urostomy bag or even full bladder removal. Participants also reported a lack of understanding among many health professionals – ‘all they did was give me painkillers and send me on my way’, said one.
Participants in the study reported that their the primary initial motivations for using ketamine were dissociation (73 per cent), self-medication (53 per cent) and the drug’s psychedelic effects (56 per cent). At the time of the survey, the primary reasons for continuing to use it were dissociation (57 per cent), self-medication (50 per cent) and relaxation (40 per cent). Trials are currently underway to investigate the drug’s suitability for clinical use in treating people with alcohol problems.
‘We know that ketamine use is on the rise, with a number of high-profile tragedies linked to ketamine addiction,’ said Professor Celia Morgan of the University of Exeter. ‘Meanwhile, a growing number of clinical trials are finding therapeutic benefits involving ketamine in carefully-controlled environments, combined with therapy. Our research is the first to analyse in-depth the experience of people using very large amounts of ketamine, and shows the devastating physical health problems people can face with dependent ketamine use. Our study also highlights the barriers that people with ketamine addiction face when they try to seek treatment, often being sent away from treatment services.’
Meanwhile a new report from the Centre for Justice Innovation looks at the experiences of women in substance use treatment, and explores what a more suitable system would look like. Effective treatment needs to be compassionate and respectful, person-led and non-coercive, and respect women’s dignity and agency, said participants – as well as address the root causes of substance use problems and help to build strength and resilience. The document calls on the government to prioritise women with unmet needs, improve data collection, and expand the use of ring-fenced treatment funding to ‘encompass the full range of women’s treatment needs’.
‘The needs of women who use substances problematically are wide-ranging, interconnected and often rooted in trauma,’ the report states. ‘This means that conventional standalone treatment services can be ineffective at helping women achieve their desired recovery. We need to move away from fragmented systems with siloed funding processes and disjointed services towards whole system approaches that recognise women with multiple unmet needs as a distinct population with intersecting needs.’
The landscape of ketamine use disorder: Patient experiences and perspectives on current treatment options available here
‘To be listened to… and actually heard’: Women’s perspectives on effective substance use treatment and support available here