St. John's Wort and Treatment for Minor Depression

Transcript

(Jackson open):
In a new approach to research on minor depression, three components of the National Institutes of Health have launched a four-year study to determine the safety and effectiveness of "Saint John's wort," a common herbal supplement, and "citalopram," a standard anti-depressant, compared to placebo. Doctor Stephen Straus--director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine--says this is a ground-breaking study for two reasons…

(Straus):
"The first, it's one of the first serious prospective attempts to identify patients with minor depression—and to treat them. The second is it's comparing two very different classes of treatments: the first involves a standard anti-depressant drug that's well-proven to work for major depression; and, the second is 'Saint John's wort'--one of the most-popular herbal medicines used in Europe and the United States today."

(Jackson close):
The trial—which will be conducted at three sites—will enroll 300 participants with minor depression. Participants will be randomly assigned to a standardized extract of "Saint John's wort," "citalopram," or placebo in a 12-week, double-blind trial. Researchers will assess changes in patients' symptoms, functioning, and quality of life. For more information, contact w-w-w-dot-"Clinical-Trials"-dot-g-o-v. This is Calvin Jackson, the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

Hear Dr. Straus' comment on the study. (736 kB, 91 seconds)