Complementary and alternative medicine usage for behavioral health indications.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the evidence supporting Inositol's use as a complementary treatment for depression and anxiety.
Results Summary
The study found insufficient evidence to support Inositol's antidepressant benefit, though there was preliminary supportive evidence for its use in anxiety treatment.
Population
Not specified (general review of evidence for depression and anxiety disorders).
Effective Dosage
Not available
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. John's wort (SJW) | decrease | depression | - | - | strong evidence to support the use | #1 |
omega-3 fatty acids | decrease | depression | - | - | growing support for the use | #2 |
S-adenosyl-l-methionine | decrease | depression | - | - | growing support for the use | #3 |
dehydroepiandrosterone | no change | depression | - | - | evidence is insufficient to support the antidepressant benefit | #4 |
inositol | no change | depression | - | - | evidence is insufficient to support the antidepressant benefit | #5 |
folate | no change | depression | - | - | evidence is insufficient to support the antidepressant benefit | #6 |
saffron | no change | depression | - | - | evidence is insufficient to support the antidepressant benefit | #7 |
kava | decrease | anxiety disorders | - | - | has high-quality evidence for use | #8 |
valerian | decrease | anxiety | - | - | preliminary supportive evidence | #9 |
inositol | decrease | anxiety | - | - | preliminary supportive evidence | #10 |
St. John's wort (SJW) | no change | anxiety | - | - | little research support | #11 |
passionflower | no change | anxiety | - | - | little research support | #12 |
melatonin | decrease | delayed sleep phase, jet lag, or shift work | - | - | likely to be useful in treating | #13 |
valerian | no change | sleep disorders | - | - | little evidence for the benefit | #14 |
zinc | no change | ADHD | - | - | no evidence-supported CAM treatments | #15 |
omega-3 fatty acids | no change | ADHD | - | - | no evidence-supported CAM treatments | #16 |
Evidence on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities in the treatment of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is reviewed. There is strong evidence to support the use of St. John's wort (SJW) in depression, and growing support for the use of omega-3 fatty acids and S-adenosyl-l-methionine as potential adjuncts to conventional therapies. Evidence is insufficient to support the antidepressant benefit of dehydroepiandrosterone, inositol, folate, and saffron. Only kava has high-quality evidence for use in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and its use is discouraged because of safety concerns. There is preliminary supportive evidence for valerian and inositol treatment of anxiety, but SJW and passionflower have achieved little research support. Melatonin is likely to be useful in treating delayed sleep phase, jet lag, or shift work, but there is little evidence for the benefit of valerian compared with placebo. There are currently no evidence-supported CAM treatments for ADHD (zinc and omega-3 fatty acids are reviewed).