Homeopathic treatment helps menopause-related depression
Apr 09, 2015
A new high quality study has found that homeopathic treatment is more effective than placebo for the treatment of moderate to severe depression in menopausal women.
The aim of the study was to assess efficacy and safety of individualized homeopathic treatment versus placebo and fluoxetine, a conventional medicine used for the treatment of depression, versus placebo in menopausal women with moderate to severe depression. It included 133 peri- and postmenopausal women diagnosed with major depression. The outcomes were measured by the use of three different rating scales after 6 weeks of treatment.
After a 6-week treatment, the homeopathic group was more effective than placebo by 5 points on the Hamilton Scale. The fluoxetine-placebo difference was 3.2 points. No differences were observed among groups in the Beck Depression Inventory. The homeopathic group was superior to placebo in the Greene Climacteric Scale (8.6 points). Fluoxetine was not different from placebo in the Greene Climacteric Scale.
The study concludes that homeopathy and fluoxetine are effective and safe antidepressants for menopausal women. Homeopathy and fluoxetine were significantly different from placebo in response definition only. Homeopathy, but not fluoxetine, improves menopausal symptoms scored by Greene Climacteric Scale.