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Related Experiment Videos

St John's wort for depression.

K Linde1, C D Mulrow

  • 1Münchener Modell - Centre for Complementary Medicine Research, Technical University/Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Kaiserstr. 9, Munich, Germany, 80801. Muenchener.Modell@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|May 5, 2000
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) extracts effectively treat mild to moderate depression compared to placebo. More research is needed to confirm its efficacy against standard antidepressants and assess long-term safety.

Area of Science:

  • Phytomedicine and Psychiatry
  • Evidence-based Complementary Medicine
  • Clinical Trial Analysis

Background:

  • Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort) has a long history of traditional use for various ailments, including depressive disorders.
  • Folk medicine extensively utilizes St. John's wort for managing symptoms associated with depression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of Hypericum extracts against placebo in treating adult depressive disorders.
  • To compare the effectiveness of Hypericum extracts with standard antidepressant medications.
  • To assess the side effect profile of Hypericum extracts relative to conventional antidepressants.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  • Searched multiple databases (Medline, Embase, Psychlit, etc.) and contacted manufacturers/researchers.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Included RCTs comparing Hypericum preparations (alone or combined) with placebo or other antidepressants in patients with depressive disorders, assessing clinical outcomes.

    • Main Results:

    • 27 trials (2291 patients) met inclusion criteria; 17 were placebo-controlled, 10 compared with other antidepressants.
    • Hypericum preparations showed significant superiority over placebo (RR 2.47) and comparable efficacy to standard antidepressants.
    • Fewer side effects were reported with Hypericum preparations (26.3%) compared to standard antidepressants (44.7%).

    Conclusions:

    • Evidence supports Hypericum extract efficacy for short-term treatment of mild to moderate depression versus placebo.
    • Current data is insufficient to definitively establish Hypericum's effectiveness relative to other antidepressants.
    • Further research is required on long-term effects, comparative efficacy across different extracts/doses, and in well-defined patient groups.