The American Psychiatric Association’s Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine reviewed the evidence and report their findings.

Here are their findings.

First, the details.

  • The task force reviewed the medical literature on individual CAM treatments for major depressive disorder.
  • CAM treatments were reviewed with regard to efficacy, as well as risks and benefits.
  • Literature searches were limited to English-language publications from 1965 to January 2010.

And, the results.

  • Consensus was reached by group conferences.
  • Commonly used CAM treatments revealed promising results.
    • Omega-3 fatty acids
    • St John’s wort (Hypericum),
    • Folate
    • S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe)
    • Acupuncture
    • Light therapy
    • Exercise
    • Mindfulness psychotherapies

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, “At this time, several CAM treatments appear promising and deserve further study. The greatest risk of pursuing a CAM therapy is the possible delay of other well-established treatments.”

6/29/10 20:13 JR

Hi, I’m JR

John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.