Depressed Women Use Complementary Methods

Massage, chiropractic, herbs and vitamins are used by depressed women to alleviate symptoms of their depressive disorders, according to new research.

Major depression is two to three times as common in women as in men, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an estimated 12.4 million American women are affected by a depressive disorder each year.

 Researchers examined patterns of and reasons for use of complementary and alternative therapies among women with depression, focusing on three popular types of complementary and alternative therapies: manual therapies (massage, chiropractic and acupressure), herbs and vitamins. Results were published in Psychiatric Services, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Fifty-four percent of women with depression reported past-year use of complementary and alternative medicine. African-American women were less likely to use complementary and alternative therapies in general, compared with non-Hispanic white women. Other factors significantly associated with use of complementary and alternative medicine included being employed, being single and having self-perceived poor health.

“We aimed to enhance knowledge about the patterns of use of complementary and alternative medicine among women with depression,” the researchers noted, “so that mental-health professionals employing conventional methods may better understand the health-related practices of their patients and improve their communication with these patients about the benefits and potential risks associated with alternative therapy use, either alone or in conjunction with conventional medical treatments.”