[Psychiatric comorbidity in somatic disorders. Psychophytopharmaceuticals are worth a try]

Somatic and psychiatric illnesses are commonly associated. Cardiovascular disorders, Parkinson's disease and stroke are especially often associated with depression as also anxiety and sleep disturbances. Psychophytopharmaceuticals, which are usually well tolerated, are highly suitable for this purpose. To treat mild to moderate episodes of depression, extracts of St. John's Wort are employed, but recently reported interactions with coumarin, theophylline and also estrogen preparations, need to be considered. Unspecific anxiety states can be treated with extracts of kava. At present, no herbal preparation can be recommended for the treatment of sleep disorders, as no unequivocal proof of efficacy in patients with such problems has yet been established.