A recent study published in Physiology & Behavior suggests that administering ketamine during periods of social stress in adolescence can prevent the development of anxiety and social withdrawal. These findings provide evidence that targeted medical interventions might one day help build resilience against the negative mental health impacts of bullying. Exposure to stressful life events during the sensitive developmental period of adolescence is closely linked to an increased risk of psychiatric illnesses and drug use disorders. In animal models, experiencing repeated social defeat, which mimics the human experience of bullying, tends to cause short-term anxiety and depressive symptoms. It also increases an animal’s sensitivity to the rewarding effects of drugs like cocaine later in adulthood. Scientists wanted to explore ways to interrupt this pathway from early stress to later psychological and addiction issues. Previous research indicated that the brain’s glutamate system, a major network of chemical messengers, is heavily involved in how the brain processes social stress and drug reward. Ketamine is a fast-acting antidepressant that works by blocking specific glutamate receptors in the brain. …