- Homeopathy has been shown to help people with severe mental health problems to recover, if used over long periods and if used alongside conventional antipsychotic medication.
- Herbal medicines, for example St. John's Wort (hypericum), has been linked to the relief of mild to moderately severe depression.
- Massage has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety, stress and depression in some people.
- Reflexology has been shown to aid relaxation, relieve stress and restore energy. It can help to reduce the side-effects of psychotropic medication and can moderate the highs and lows of mood swings.
- Research into nutritional and dietary medicine has demonstrated that food sensitivities may cause psychiatric symptoms, whilst a lack of folic acid has been associated with depression and schizophrenia and the supplementation of certain amino acids has been shown to relieve depression.
- Transcendental Meditation, hypnotherapy, yoga, exercise, relaxation, massage and aromatherapy have all been shown to have some effect in reducing stress, tension and anxiety and in alleviating mental distress.
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It is clear that more research needs to be undertaken. Much of the existing research into the use of complementary therapies in mental health is in the form of case reports only, with few comprehensive clinical trials or research reviews having been carried out. Where research does exist, it is often difficult to access.
According to the Foundation for Integrated Medicine, most research on complementary therapies, whether into effectiveness, safety or mechanisms for action, has tended to be carried out as a collection of isolated studies, with no clear strategic framework. This, they argue, may be due to:
'lack of adequate infra-structures and funding for research, but also because of a paucity of research methods and a lack of input from 'professional researchers', who have hitherto mainly operated in more conventional therapeutic areas'
Research carried out by the Mental Health Foundation shows that mental health service users want greater access to complementary therapies and that where these are provided they are found to be well-received and helpful. However, given the current demand from the NHS Executive for evidence-based medicine, more investment is in good quality research, service development and training is needed if there is to be progress towards an integrated and holistic mental health service that provides real choice for service users.
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Written in 2000
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