The use of complementary medicine by psychiatric outpatients
Rivera-Perez, J.; Malave, R.; Torres -Martin, A.I.
Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico 99(2): 131
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-4849 Document Number: 703049
The purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs about and the prevalence, types, and perceptions of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use by psychiatric outpatients. A total of 344 randomly-selected patients from a psychiatric outpatient clinic were given a comprehensive, self-report questionnaire about CAM use, which included questions about attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and disclosure to treating physicians. Of the selected subjects, 235 reported CAM use for an estimated prevalence of 68%. The most commonly used type of CAM therapy was oral therapy. The most common reason for use was for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions. The majority of subjects reported believing that CAM therapies were safer than conventional treatments because they caused no adverse effects, and for this reason never informed their physician that such treatments were being used. The findings of this study concur with current literature indicating that there is a high prevalence of CAM use among psychiatric outpatients, with a concurrent high non-disclosure rate of its use to physicians.
Document emailed within 1 workday
