According to the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, only about 40% of people with major depression receive adequate conventional treatment, so it’s important to get a better understanding of the other measures depressed patients are taking. A survey of American women indicates that a high proportion of them use alternative and complementary medicines for depression.
Researchers analyzed a national telephone survey of more than 3,000 women, with Mexican Americans, Chinese Americans, and African Americans somewhat over-represented in order to get a picture of ethnic differences. Of these women, 220 said they had been medically diagnosed with depression in the previous year, and 54% of them had used alternative medicine to treat the symptoms. The authors point out that the percentage would have been even higher if they had been able to include depressed women who never received a medical diagnosis.
The most popular alternatives were manual therapies, including chiropractic, massage, and acupressure, used by 26%; medicinal herbs and teas, used by 20%; and vitamins and nutritional supplements, used by 16%. Other unconventional remedies were yoga, meditation, tai chi, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and Native American healing.
African Americans were least likely to use alternative medicine and Chinese Americans most likely. Women with a college education and those employed outside the home were more likely to use alternative medicines, especially vitamins. Herbal medicines were used most by Mexican Americans, Chinese Americans, the unemployed, and immigrants. Manual therapies were used most by women over 35 who thought their health was poor.
With controls for income, employment, marital status, age, and other demographic factors, most ethnic differences canceled out, although non-Hispanic whites were still more likely than blacks to use alternative medicine.
The women responded to interviewers’ suggestions of various specific and general reasons for using unconventional medicines. Forty-five percent mentioned side effects of conventional medicines, and 43% said conventional medicines were ineffective. Seventeen percent said they could not afford conventional treatment. Sixty-five percent preferred a natural approach, 59% said that use of alternative remedies was consistent with their beliefs, 45% had become familiar with these remedies in childhood, and 39% had read or heard something about an alternative medicine. About one-third said a doctor had recommended alternative treatment, usually a manual therapy and almost never herbs or vitamins.
Although an alternative treatment that has not been studied scientifically should not substitute for an evidence-based medical treatment, the authors believe physicians should generally remain neutral about their patients’ use of these remedies as supplementary. In particular, criticism of remedies accepted in a given culture or by a given ethnic group could be interpreted as disrespectful.
Have you used alternative medications to treat depression? If so, which ones and what has your experience been?
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Comments: 8
Surely there's something wrong with this picture. The reporter speculated that normal sadness was often being treated with antidepressants, but that's speculation, of course. Is the entire country clinically depressed, or what's going on?
If we saw the same thing, it was Matt Lauer on the Today show interviewing one of the regular contributors to the program, a psychiatrist, Dr. Gail Saltz. It was a good interview, because it was very balanced.
What I took away from the segment was that it is very important to see a well-trained person who can help evaluate a mood problem. Unfortunately there are not enough professionals available who are trained well enough to evaluate mood problems and help people decide on a helpful course of treatment.
With that kind of help, a person may decide to try medications or some other approach, or combine a few different approaches.
Yes — you heard correctly, antidepressants are the most prescribed medications in this country.
And you are also right to raise the question about the numbers of people getting treatment. The numbers in this article come from the surveys that researchers did by telephone. In this case, they called thousands of people, so the information is pretty valuable.
Ultimately, the big problem is not that antidepressants are being prescribed too much or too little.
Antidepressants are being prescribed BOTH too much AND too little. That is, some people get antidepressants that don't need them. Others who need the antidepressants don't get them.
The goal is for each individual to have they help they need to make a good decision about treatment.
Your comments are on target — alternative medicine is expensive — all medicine is expensive!
This is why I am generally hoping that we will move toward some form of universal health coverage in this country, along with parity for mental health treatment. Without that, it will be very hard for many people to get the help they need.
I don't have any specific suggestions, but I'll refer to some comments I made in recent weeks about the importance of persistence. It is important to keep trying different treatments, because there is no way to predict which medication is going to help or when you'll find it. Maybe instead of "upping" medication doses, it is worth trying a different medication.
And don't forget psychotherapy — although that also can be expensive.
We have good medicines, but they don't solve all problems. Maybe a therapist can provide support and help you figure out how to manage the difficulties in a way that you can feel better about.
I know that I am bi-polar and have depression I also have learned what causes most of mine, and for the most part can avoid those things.
Now at the age of 33 I have been off of medications for 12 years. Yes I have my days that are bad, but I feel like myself and act like myself.
I can't afford to go to a therapist and I really can't afford the medications at this point in my life. Should I get help maybe! If I get bad enough I know and I will ask for help. I have not had the urge to commit suicide in the last 12 years where as every day while on medications I felt I needed too. Was it the meds or the age, who is to know.
If we had health care coverage like Canada does would I see someone, probably.
Would I take medications? I dont know. I know there are so many new things out there these days, but I have also seen my 11 year old son on some of these medications and have seen what they do to him.
It is sometimes hard to avoid those things that set off my depression but I do have people that I talk to in those times. If I ever get worse you bet I will find a doctor to see. Until I can afford it or have health care coverage that will pay for it Im most likely going to stay the way I am now. 85% of the time happy the other 15% depressed and wanting to be in my own little area with a nice large rock over me:)
Thank you so much for this article.