St. John's wort and the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a systematic review.
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted to determine the efficacy of St. John's Wort (SJW) in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. The Boyak and Lookinland Methodological Quality Index was used to evaluate the studies. Despite methodological concerns, all studies demonstrated a significant drop in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores for clients taking SJW compared with placebo or pharmaceutical antidepressants. Practitioners may find SJW a viable complementary treatment alternative to traditional medical treatment. The results should encourage further research to validate these findings and seek the most appropriate preparations and dosing for this popular herb.
Clement
Kimberly
K
Central Utah Medical Clinic, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
Covertson
Catherine R
CR
Johnson
Mary Jane
MJ
Dearing
Karen
K
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D020902:Hypericum; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000451:nursing*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts