Complementary and Alternative Treatments in Psychiatry
Summary
This chapter focuses on CAM treatments supported by scientific evidence for mechanisms of action, clinical trials demonstrating safety and efficacy, and observations of benefit from the authors' clinical experience. There is limited data in some case, but this should not deter physicians from considering these substances when appropriate. There are six sections in the chapter: (1) Mood disorders; (2) Anxiety and stress-related disorders; (3) Substance abuse; (4) Hormone-related disorders; (5) Disorders of attention, memory, and cognition; and (6) Issues of quality control, product variability, side effects, drug interactions, and legal-ethical issues.