Treatment of Mood and Depressive Disorders With Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Efficacy Review.
Journal of midwifery & women's health – January 01, 2023
Source: PubMed
Summary
A significant rise in depression symptoms has been observed since 2011, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many individuals are exploring complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, including light therapy, yoga, meditation, and supplements like St. John's wort and folate. However, the effectiveness of these approaches remains uncertain, with only a limited number of randomized controlled trials available. This review highlights the need for more rigorous studies to better understand the role of CAM therapies in managing major depressive disorder effectively.
Abstract
There has been a steady increase in people with symptoms of depression over the past several years (since 2011). The further increase in stress and depression in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by an increase in unmet mental health needs. Many have turned to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies such as bright-light therapy, yoga, meditation, and dietary supplements like St. John's wort or folic acid. The reliability of evidence for use of CAM therapies for depression has remained low. There are few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the current literature and poor methodology in many of the trials that are available. This state of the science review examines current published guidelines, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and RCTs regarding use of CAM therapies in the management of depression.