Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2013 Jan;5(1):24-31.
doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2012.06.012. Epub 2012 Oct 24.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms and the use of complementary and alternative medicine

Maulik P Purohit  1 , Rebecca Erwin Wells, Ross D Zafonte, Roger B Davis, Russell S Phillips
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Neuropsychiatric symptoms and the use of complementary and alternative medicine

Maulik P Purohit et al. PM R. 2013 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by U.S. adults reporting neuropsychiatric symptoms and whether this prevalence changes based on the number of symptoms reported. Additional objectives include identifying patterns of CAM use, reasons for use, and disclosure of use with conventional providers in U.S. adults with neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Design: Secondary database analysis of a prospective survey.

Participants: A total of 23,393 U.S. adults from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey.

Methods: We compared CAM use between adults with and without neuropsychiatric symptoms. Symptoms included self-reported anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, memory deficits, attention deficits, and excessive sleepiness. CAM use was defined as use of mind-body therapies (eg, meditation), biological therapies (eg, herbs), or manipulation therapies (eg, massage) or alternative medical systems (eg, Ayurveda). Statistical analysis included bivariable comparisons and multivariable logistical regression analyses.

Main outcome measures: The prevalence of CAM use among adults with neuropsychiatric symptoms within the previous 12 months and the comparison of CAM use between those with and without neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Results: Adults with neuropsychiatric symptoms had a greater prevalence of CAM use compared with adults who did not have neuropsychiatric symptoms (43.8% versus 29.7%, P < .001); this prevalence increased with an increasing number of symptoms (trend, P < .001). Differences in the likelihood of CAM use as determined by the number of symptoms persisted after we adjusted for covariates. Twenty percent of patients used CAM because standard treatments were either too expensive or ineffective, and 25% used CAM because it was recommended by a conventional provider. Adults with at least one neuropsychiatric symptom were more likely to disclose the use of CAM to a conventional provider (47.9% versus 39.0%, P < .001).

Conclusion: More than 40% of adults with neuropsychiatric symptoms commonly observed in many diagnoses use CAM; an increasing number of symptoms was associated with an increased likelihood of CAM use.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of CAM use by number of neuropsychiatric symptoms. * Anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, memory deficits, attention deficits, and excessive sleepiness.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CAM usage by modality; comparing patients with and without neuropsychiatric symptoms. * P < .001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Reasons for CAM use; comparing patients with and without neuropsychiatric symptoms. * P < .01.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. National Center for Compliementary and Alternative Medicine. What is complementary and alternative medicine? [Accessed July 2, 2012]; Available at http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/#definingcam.
    1. Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. Natl Health Stat Rep. 2008 Dec;:1–23. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. National Health Expenditures Aggregate, Per Capita Amounts, Percent Distribution, and Average Annual Percent Change: Selected Calendar Years 1960-2010. [Accessed July 2, 2012]; Available at https://www.cms.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/tables.pdf.
    1. Bertisch SM, Wee CC, Phillips RS, McCarthy EP. Alternative mind-body therapies used by adults with medical conditions. J Psychosom Res. 2009;66:511–519. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wells RE, Phillips RS, Schachter SC, McCarthy EP. Complementary and alternative medicine use among US adults with common neurological conditions. J Neurol. 2010;257:1822–1831. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms