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Many individuals with depression turn to complementary health approaches as an adjunct to or in place of conventional treatment. Although these approaches are commonly used and readily available in the marketplace, many of these treatments have not been rigorously studied for depression. For this reason, it’s important that you understand the benefits and risks of these complementary approaches to advise your patients.
A Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the American Psychiatric Association conducted a review in 2010 of complementary approaches in psychiatry and found that, based on the quality of available evidence, there is enough evidence to support further research on some complementary approaches, including omega-3 fatty acids, St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), folate, S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe), light therapy, physical exercise, and mindfulness-based therapies for augmenting current treatments of depression in adults. However, the Task Force noted the need for more rigorous and larger studies before employing these complementary approaches.
This issue of the digest provides the state of the science for several of these complementary health approaches.
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What the Science Says:
Depression and Complementary Health Approaches
Learn what current research has to say about:
 Omega-3 Fatty Acids
St. John’s Wort
SAMe
Inositol
Acupuncture
Music Therapy
Relaxation Training
Read more »
Additional Resources
Scientific Literature
Research Spotlights
For Your Patients
5 Tips: What You Should Know About the Science Behind Depression and Complementary Health Approaches
Visit NCCIH’s website to read the full issue of this month’s Clinical Digest
NCCIH Clinical Digest is a service of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NCCIH Clinical Digest, a monthly e-newsletter, offers evidence-based information on complementary and integrative health, including scientific literature searches, summaries of NCCIH-funded research, fact sheets for patients, and more.
NCCIH is 1 of 27 institutes and centers at the NIH. The mission of NCCIH is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in improving health and health care. For additional information, call NCCIH’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCIH Web site at nccih.nih.gov.
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