Treatment of Mood and Depressive Disorders With Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Efficacy Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review current evidence on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, including light therapy, for managing depression.
Results Summary
The abstract indicates that the reliability of evidence for CAM therapies, including light therapy, remains low due to few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and poor methodology in existing studies. No specific findings on light therapy's efficacy or safety are detailed.
Population
Individuals with symptoms of depression, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
bright-light therapy | neutral | symptoms of depression | people with symptoms of depression | - | turned to | #1 |
yoga | neutral | symptoms of depression | people with symptoms of depression | - | turned to | #2 |
meditation | neutral | symptoms of depression | people with symptoms of depression | - | turned to | #3 |
St. John's wort | neutral | symptoms of depression | people with symptoms of depression | - | turned to | #4 |
folic acid | neutral | symptoms of depression | people with symptoms of depression | - | turned to | #5 |
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.