Camilla Dahlgren

Camilla Lindvall Dahlgren is a professor in clinical psychology and head of research at the Department of Psychology,  Oslo New University College (ONH). With over 15 years of experience in clinical research, her work centers on eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. She is particularly passionate about exploring and developing novel treatment approaches, including the potential of ketamine-assisted therapy. Camilla leads the Eating Disorder Lab at ONH - an interdisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, students, and individuals with lived experience. She co-leads the Ketamine Initiative for Eating Disorders (Kite) with Dr. Lowan Stewart and is affiliated with both the Psychedelic Research Group and PROUD (Process and Outcome of Eating Disorders) at the University of Oslo. In addition to research, she is dedicated to supervision and mentorship, guiding both students and clinicians in their academic and professional development.

Rewiring recovery - Ketamine for the treatment of eating disorders

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, sometimes even life-threatening, with profound physiological, psychological, and social consequences. They affect individuals across all ages, genders, and sociocultural backgrounds, but most commonly emerge during adolescence and early adulthood, disproportionately affecting females.

Despite the availability of evidence-based treatments, outcomes remain poor for many. Recent data show that approximately 50% of patients do not achieve recovery, even with treatment. Among those who do recover, one in four relapses, and one in five develops a chronic course of illness. These figures underscore the need to explore innovative treatment approaches for this population.

Psychedelic treatments have recently gained attention as a promising avenue. Emerging evidence suggests that ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is safe for individuals with eating disorders and comorbid depression. Preliminary findings also indicate potential benefits in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and core eating disorder psychopathology.

In this presentation, Dr. Stewart and Prof. Dahlgren will review the current evidence on ketamine treatment for eating disorders and offer insights into why ketamine may be particularly well-suited for this patient group. They will also present preliminary findings from a clinical initiative involving ketamine-assisted therapy for patients with eating disorders in Norway.