Homeopathic Treatment for Depression in Peri- and Postmenopausal Women

Summary

The aim of this study was to determine whether individualized homeopathic treatment and fluoxetine are more efficient than placebo for moderate to severe depression in peri- and postmenopausal women.

Timeline

Start

2012-03

Primary completion

2014-02

Completion

2014-03

Publications

• Background Adler UC, Paiva NM, Cesar AT, Adler MS, Molina A, Padula AE, Calil HM. Homeopathic Individualized Q-Potencies versus Fluoxetine for Moderate to Severe Depression: Double-Blind, Randomized Non-Inferiority Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:520182. doi: 10.1093/ecam/nep114. Epub 2011 Jun 8.
• Background Frank E, Prien RF, Jarrett RB, Keller MB, Kupfer DJ, Lavori PW, Rush AJ, Weissman MM. Conceptualization and rationale for consensus definitions of terms in major depressive disorder. Remission, recovery, relapse, and recurrence. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991 Sep;48(9):851-5. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1991.01810330075011.
• Background Hale GE, Zhao X, Hughes CL, Burger HG, Robertson DM, Fraser IS. Endocrine features of menstrual cycles in middle and late reproductive age and the menopausal transition classified according to the Staging of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) staging system. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Aug;92(8):3060-7. doi: 10.1210/jc.2007-0066. Epub 2007 Jun 5.
• Background Kirsch I, Deacon BJ, Huedo-Medina TB, Scoboria A, Moore TJ, Johnson BT. Initial severity and antidepressant benefits: a meta-analysis of data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. PLoS Med. 2008 Feb;5(2):e45. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045.
• Background Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Koretz D, Merikangas KR, Rush AJ, Walters EE, Wang PS; National Comorbidity Survey Replication. The epidemiology of major depressive disorder: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). JAMA. 2003 Jun 18;289(23):3095-105. doi: 10.1001/jama.289.23.3095.
• Background Murray CJ, Lopez AD. Evidence-based health policy--lessons from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Science. 1996 Nov 1;274(5288):740-3. doi: 10.1126/science.274.5288.740. No abstract available.
• Background Greenberg PE, Stiglin LE, Finkelstein SN, Berndt ER. The economic burden of depression in 1990. J Clin Psychiatry. 1993 Nov;54(11):405-18.
• Background Williams LM, Rush AJ, Koslow SH, Wisniewski SR, Cooper NJ, Nemeroff CB, Schatzberg AF, Gordon E. International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment for Depression (iSPOT-D), a randomized clinical trial: rationale and protocol. Trials. 2011 Jan 5;12:4. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-12-4.
• Background Simon GE, VonKorff M, Barlow W. Health care costs of primary care patients with recognized depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1995 Oct;52(10):850-6. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1995.03950220060012.
• Background Cohen LS, Soares CN, Vitonis AF, Otto MW, Harlow BL. Risk for new onset of depression during the menopausal transition: the Harvard study of moods and cycles. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006 Apr;63(4):385-90. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.63.4.385.
• Background Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Lin H, Nelson DB. Associations of hormones and menopausal status with depressed mood in women with no history of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006 Apr;63(4):375-82. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.63.4.375.
• Background Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Liu L, Gracia CR, Nelson DB, Hollander L. Hormones and menopausal status as predictors of depression in women in transition to menopause. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004 Jan;61(1):62-70. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.61.1.62.
• Background Rapkin AJ. Vasomotor symptoms in menopause: physiologic condition and central nervous system approaches to treatment. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Feb;196(2):97-106. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2006.05.056.
• Background Fava M, Davidson KG. Definition and epidemiology of treatment-resistant depression. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1996 Jun;19(2):179-200. doi: 10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70283-5.
• Background Davidson JR, Crawford C, Ives JA, Jonas WB. Homeopathic treatments in psychiatry: a systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled studies. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Jun;72(6):795-805. doi: 10.4088/JCP.10r06580.
• Background Adler UC, Kruger S, Teut M, Ludtke R, Bartsch I, Schutzler L, Melcher F, Willich SN, Linde K, Witt CM. Homeopathy for depression--DEP-HOM: study protocol for a randomized, partially double-blind, placebo controlled, four armed study. Trials. 2011 Feb 14;12:43. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-12-43.
• Background Freeman MP, Mischoulon D, Tedeschini E, Goodness T, Cohen LS, Fava M, Papakostas GI. Complementary and alternative medicine for major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of patient characteristics, placebo-response rates, and treatment outcomes relative to standard antidepressants. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010 Jun;71(6):682-8. doi: 10.4088/JCP.10r05976blu.
• Background Linde K, Melchart D. Randomized controlled trials of individualized homeopathy: a state-of-the-art review. J Altern Complement Med. 1998 Winter;4(4):371-88. doi: 10.1089/acm.1998.4.371.
• Background Thompson TD, Weiss M. Homeopathy--what are the active ingredients? An exploratory study using the UK Medical Research Council's framework for the evaluation of complex interventions. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2006 Nov 13;6:37. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-6-37.
• Background Dean ME, Coulter MK, Fisher P, Jobst K, Walach H; Delphi Panel of the CONSORT Group. Reporting data on homeopathic treatments (RedHot): a supplement to CONSORT*. Forsch Komplementmed. 2006 Dec;13(6):368-71. doi: 10.1159/000097073. Epub 2006 Dec 21.
• Background Schulz KF, Altman DG, Moher D; CONSORT Group. CONSORT 2010 Statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomized trials. Open Med. 2010;4(1):e60-8. Epub 2010 Mar 24. No abstract available.
• Background Ludtke R, Rutten ALB. The conclusions on the effectiveness of homeopathy highly depend on the set of analyzed trials. J Clin Epidemiol. 2008 Dec;61(12):1197-1204. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.06.015. Epub 2008 Oct 1.
• Background Bordet MF, Colas A, Marijnen P, Masson J, Trichard M. Treating hot flushes in menopausal women with homeopathic treatment--results of an observational study. Homeopathy. 2008 Jan;97(1):10-5. doi: 10.1016/j.homp.2007.11.005.
• Background Shang A, Huwiler-Muntener K, Nartey L, Juni P, Dorig S, Sterne JA, Pewsner D, Egger M. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet. 2005 Aug 27-Sep 2;366(9487):726-32. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67177-2.
• Background Mulrow CD, Williams JW Jr, Chiquette E, Aguilar C, Hitchcock-Noel P, Lee S, Cornell J, Stamm K. Efficacy of newer medications for treating depression in primary care patients. Am J Med. 2000 Jan;108(1):54-64. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9343(99)00316-2.
• Background Dawson MY, Michalak EE, Waraich P, Anderson JE, Lam RW. Is remission of depressive symptoms in primary care a realistic goal? A meta-analysis. BMC Fam Pract. 2004 Sep 7;5:19. doi: 10.1186/1471-2296-5-19.
• Macias-Cortes EDC, Llanes-Gonzalez L, Aguilar-Faisal L, Asbun-Bojalil J. Response to Individualized Homeopathic Treatment for Depression in Climacteric Women with History of Domestic Violence, Marital Dissatisfaction or Sexual Abuse: Results from the HOMDEP-MENOP Study. Homeopathy. 2018 Aug;107(3):202-208. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1654709. Epub 2018 Jun 5.
• Macias-Cortes ED, Llanes-Gonzalez L, Aguilar-Faisal L, Asbun-Bojalil J. Is metabolic dysregulation associated with antidepressant response in depressed women in climacteric treated with individualized homeopathic medicines or fluoxetine? The HOMDEP-MENOP Study. Homeopathy. 2017 Feb;106(1):3-10. doi: 10.1016/j.homp.2016.11.002. Epub 2017 Jan 10.
• Macias-Cortes Edel C, Llanes-Gonzalez L, Aguilar-Faisal L, Asbun-Bojalil J. Individualized homeopathic treatment and fluoxetine for moderate to severe depression in peri- and postmenopausal women (HOMDEP-MENOP study): a randomized, double-dummy, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. PLoS One. 2015 Mar 13;10(3):e0118440. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118440. eCollection 2015.
• Macias-Cortes Edel C, Aguilar-Faisal L, Asbun-Bojalil J. Efficacy of individualized homeopathic treatment and fluoxetine for moderate to severe depression in peri- and postmenopausal women (HOMDEP-MENOP): study protocol for a randomized, double-dummy, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Trials. 2013 Apr 23;14:105. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-14-105.

Drugs

Indications