The DOI matches its Crossref record; 196 of the 201 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Complementary and alternative therapies as add-on to pharmacotherapy for mood and anxiety disorders: A systematic review
Abstract
Background Depressed and anxious patients often combine complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies with conventional pharmacotherapy to self-treat symptoms. The benefits and risks of such combination strategies have not been fully evaluated. This paper evaluates the risk-benefit profile of CAM augmentation to antidepressants in affective conditions.Methods PubMed was searched for all available clinical reports published in English up to December 2012. Data were evaluated based on graded levels of evidence for efficacy and safety.Results Generally, the evidence base is significantly larger for depression than for anxiety disorder. In unipolar depression, there is Level 2 evidence for adjunctive sleep deprivation (SD) and Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP), and Level 3 for exercise, yoga, light therapy (LT), omega-3 fatty acids, S-adenosylmethionine and tryptophan. In bipolar depression, there is Level 1 evidence for adjunctive omega-3s, Level 2 for SD, and Level 3 for LT and FEWP. In anxiety conditions, exercise augmentation has Level 3 support in generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Though mostly well-tolerated, these therapies can only be recommended as third-line interventions due to the quality of available evidence.Limitations Overall, the literature is limited. Studies often had methodological weaknesses, with little information on long-term use and on potential drug-CAM interactions. Many CAM studies were not published in English.Conclusions While several CAM therapies show some evidence of benefit as augmentation in depressive disorders, such evidence is largely lacking in anxiety disorders. The general dearth of adequate safety and tolerability data encourages caution in clinical use.
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“We found that participants in the Seduction of Spirit meditation course experienced a greater reduction in depressed mood scores compared to the other courses, which supports previous data on the beneficial effects of meditation specifically on depression.34”
From Psychosocial Effects of a Holistic Ayurvedic Approach to Well-being in Health and Wellness Courses (2019) · cites this paper as [34]
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1 retracted
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“Interestingly, in one of these studies, onset of improvement was fastest with medication alone (Blumenthal et al., 1999), but at 6-month follow-up, depression was lower and relapse and remission higher with exercise alone (Babyak et al.”
BackgroundPhysical activity, exercise, depression and anxiety disorders
Ströhle, A. (2009) · Journal of Neural Transmission · doi:10.1007/s00702-008-0092-x · Cited by 1,269
Sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression (STAR*D): Rationale and design
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“, 2008), while two meta-analyses did not (Golden et al., 2005; Tuunainen et al., 2004).”
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5 of the 201 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Alonso, 2007, Overview of key data from the European study of the epidemiology of mental disorders (ESEMeD), Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68, 3
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Items 101–120 of 120
Hazelton, A. G., Bloch, R., & Saeed, S. A. (2015) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118840634.ch25
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Vázquez, G. H. (2025) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-33580-8.00003-9
Turning to turkey’s tryptophan to boost mood? Not so fast
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Faisal‐Cury, A., Rodrigues, D. M. D. O., Maruyama, J. M., Silotto, A. E. M. R., Heps, A., & Matijasevich, A. (2026) · Ciência & Saúde Coletiva · doi:10.1590/1413-81232026313.10042024
Metadata
- Authors
- Ravindran, A. V., & da Silva, T. L.
- Affiliations
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Ravindran, Arun V.
- ORCID
- Ravindran, Arun V.
- Venue
- Journal of Affective Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-09
- Volume
- 150
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 707-719
- ISSN
- 0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1977854880
- Cited by
- 121
- References
- 201
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 4
- FWCI
- 3.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Treatment of Major Depression
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Medicinal Plant Extracts Effects
- Keywords
- complementary and alternative medicine, adjunctive therapy, antidepressants, depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar depression, sleep deprivation, physical activity, yoga, phototherapy, omega-3 fatty acids, S-adenosylmethionine, tryptophan, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, safety and tolerability
- MeSH terms
- Complementary Therapies, Anxiety Disorders, Combined Modality Therapy, Female, Humans, Male, Phototherapy, S-Adenosylmethionine, Tryptophan, Yoga, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Meditation, Mood Disorders
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