[Newest advances in clinical phytotherapy in Chinese psychiatry]

Based on a review of the literature contemporary psychiatric practice of herbal medicine in the Chinese People's Republic is re-evaluated. In many articles the results lack methodological precision. In some most trustworthy publications it is stated that for some psychiatric conditions certain herbal drugs are effective and that by combined treatment of modern drugs with phytotherapy a greater effectiveness can be achieved and the time needed for restoration of health can be reduced and the frequency of side-effect is smaller. To confirm the conclusions on the importance of phytotherapy in psychiatry, according to the authors, more elaborate investigations in psychiatry are needed.