2 - (SYM 37) Qualitative Interviews with Transgender and Gender Expansive Clients of Group-based Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

Transgender and gender expansive (TGE) people face extreme disparities in mental health, with disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, suicidality, and emotional dysregulation stemming from chronic traumatic invalidation. Psychedelic-assisted therapies, including ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), offer new paradigms of mental health treatment by demonstrating safety and efficacy as catalysts for cognitive shifts that can result in long-term relief from psychological suffering. Ketamine was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1970 as an anesthetic and KAP has been observed to improve symptoms of depression and other mood disorders in several studies. In the current study, we conducted 6 qualitative interviews with clients who have participated in KAP+Pride, an innovative, 12-week trans-specific therapy model developed by and for gender-expansive people that integrates ketamine-assisted therapy into group therapy, leveraging the complementary strengths of both. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis and themes were identified using both inductive and deductive approaches. Participants reported benefits of KAP+Pride on mood, behavior, and emotional regulation. The importance of participating in a group with other TGE people, facilitated by TGE people, was emphasized by all participants; emotional safety, sense of belonging, and building community were prominent themes related to the group composition. In our future research on this model, we will collect pre-post quantitative data as well as feasibility and acceptability data to inform a larger clinical trial.  Group-based ketamine-assisted therapy may reduce cost and optimize benefits for TGE clients, who often experience barriers to accessing affordable and culturally competent mental health care.