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30 - Alternative therapies for mood disorders

from Part III - Specific treatments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2010

By
William H. Coryell
Edited by
Peter Tyrer  and
Kenneth R. Silk
William H. Coryell
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry University of Iowa Iowa City, IA USA
Peter Tyrer
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Kenneth R. Silk
Affiliation:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Summary

Editors' note

As depression is so common, it is hardly surprising that there are a large number of alternative treatments in psychiatry for this condition. We now have good evidence for the efficacy of light therapy, where naturally it is chosen primarily for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. It is of particular interest that efficacy is almost at its greatest when the light of an early dawn is being simulated. Sleep deprivation is only effective in the very short term but it undoubtedly does have benefit over a 48–72 hour period and may be combined with other treatments for this condition. There is an increasing literature on the benefits of omega-3 supplements in the treatment of depression and, for those who want to have the specific compounds, an alternative name for eicosapentaenoic acid might have to be found to avoid confusion. Whilst the benefits of essential fatty acids appear to be ascending, the opposite applies to St John's Wort, which, despite a very large number of trials, does not yet have unequivocal evidence of benefit.

Introduction

The high prevalence of affective disorders, together with the frequent inadequacy of conventional treatments, has produced a long-standing interest in alternative approaches. The following summarizes the evidence for those approaches that are supported by at least two prospectively randomized and controlled, parallel-design studies.

Type
Chapter
Information
Cambridge Textbook of Effective Treatments in Psychiatry , pp. 516 - 524
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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