Homoeopathy as an add-on treatment for schizophrenia - A case series

Abstract Introduction: Schizophrenia is a complex, progressive and severe mental disorder characterised by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behaviour. Conventional medication and cognitive behaviour therapy are used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Homoeopathy can also offer promising results in schizophrenia as evident from the previous studies. Case Summary: Five patients reported at the outpatient department of National Homoeopathy Research Institute in Mental Health, Kerala, India, with symptoms of schizophrenia were treated with individualised homoeopathic medicine as an add-on therapy to conventional medicines. Assessment of the patients was done using three scales: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, brief psychiatric rating scale and Glasgow Anti-psychotics Side-effects Scale. Possible causal attribution of changes was explicitly depicted by Modified Naranjo Criteria. All five patients showed improvement as evident from the assessment scales. These cases show the positive role of homoeopathic treatment in schizophrenia, reducing the psychotic symptoms and reinstating the insight of the patient and also tapering the conventional medication. To bring out further robust evidence of homoeopathy in schizophrenia, extensive research studies are required. Abstract Introduction: Schizophrenia is a complex, progressive and severe mental disorder characterised by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behaviour. Conventional medication and cognitive behaviour therapy are used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Homoeopathy can also offer promising results in schizophrenia as evident from the previous studies. Case Summary: Five patients reported at the outpatient department of National Homoeopathy with symptoms of schizophrenia were treated with individualised homoeopathic medicine as an add-on therapy to conventional medicines. Assessment of the patients was done using three scales: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, brief psychiatric rating scale and Glasgow Anti-psychotics Side-effects Scale. Possible causal attribution of changes was explicitly depicted by Modified Naranjo Criteria. All five patients showed improvement as evident from the assessment scales. These cases show the positive role of homoeopathic treatment in schizophrenia, reducing the psychotic symptoms and reinstating the insight of the patient and also tapering the conventional medication. To bring out further robust evidence of homoeopathy in schizophrenia, extensive research studies are required.