Journal of Occupational and Environmental MedicineJan 16, 2026

Challenges Firefighters Face Getting Ketamine Therapy for PTSD

Psychedelic Science Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Jun 27, 2026

Abstract

Essence

Firefighters seeking ketamine-assisted therapy for PTSD described stigma, self-advocacy demands, and major practical barriers before treatment began.

Evidence

This qualitative study used pre-treatment interviews and thematic analysis in six firefighters enrolled in but not yet started on the Roots to Thrive ketamine-assisted therapy program.

Caveat

The study captures a very small pre-treatment sample and does not evaluate ketamine-assisted therapy outcomes.

Simplified

OBJECTIVE: Firefighters are exposed to a disproportionately high number of traumatic incidents and, thus, display elevated rates of trauma-related mental health disorders, with the reported average PTSD prevalence being 7.3% in firefighters vs 1.3-3.5% in the general populationOftentimes, conventional treatments demonstrate limited efficacy. Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) has recently arisen with promising long-term results.

METHODS: The experiences of six firefighters who had enrolled in but not begun the Roots to Thrive (RTT) KAT program was investigated. Interviews were conducted pre-treatment, and a thorough thematic analysis was performed.

RESULTS: Four major themes were identified: (1) feeling stuck and reaching a breaking point, (2) stigma surrounding PTSD and the use of ketamine for treatment, (3) the importance of self-advocacy in navigating access to treatment, and (4) substantial financial and logistical barriers.

CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of system-wide changes necessary to support treatment-seeking individuals.