Abstract:
Objective: To evaluate the role of homoeopathic medicines in the management of
depressive episodes.
Material and Methods: A prospective, non‑comparative, open‑label observational
study was carried out from October 2005 to September 2010, by the Central Council
for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) (India), at — the Central Research Institute
CRI (H), Kottayam. Patients who were 20-60 years of age, suffering from mood
disorders were screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Homoeopathic medicines
were prescribed in 30, 200 and 1M potencies, after repertorising the symptoms and
signs and final consultation with the Materia Medica. The internationally accepted
scales — Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Beck Depression Inventory
(BDI) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) — were used to assess the symptoms at
each visit and measure the outcome. The follow up of 12 months included six months
of observation period. Analysis was done as per the intention‑to‑treat (ITT) principle
using SPSS version 20.
Results: Eighty‑three patients (35 males and 48 females), who fulfilled the inclusion
and exclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Out of these, 67 patients completed
the follow‑up, 16 patients did not attend the Outpatient Department (OPD) for
varying periods. The ITT principle was applied for the analysis considering their last
observations. A statistically significant (P = 0.0001, P < 0.05) difference in the mean
scores of HDRS, using the paired t‑test, was observed. The mean scores at baseline
and at end were 17.98 ± 4.9 and 5.8 ± 5.9, respectively. Statistically significant
differences were also observed in the BDI and CGI scales. The most frequently used
medicines were: Natrum muriaticum (n = 18), Arsenicum album (n = 12), Pulsatilla nigricans (n = 11), Lycopodium clavatum (n = 7) and Phosphorus (n = 6).
Conclusion: A course of six months of homoeopathic treatment is associated with
significant benefits in patients suffering from depressive episodes, as measured by
HDRS. Further controlled studies are needed to assess the efficacy.
