Estudio clínico sobre la efectividad de la homeopatía pluralista en el trastorno de ansiedad generalizada

Introduction and objectives

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is mainly observed in primary care and its prevalence could be as high as 5%. This retrospective study has the aim of evaluating the results obtained with the therapeutic method based on a pluralist homeopathic approach.

Material and methods

An observational study was conducted on a cohort of 220 patients, treated by a pluralist homeopathic doctor. A review was carried out on 460 medical records, from which were selected the 220 who fulfilled the criteria required by the DSM-IV-TR to establish the diagnosis of GAD. As regards the homeopathic medications indicated, in all cases the patient was prescribed the temperament medication. When considered necessary, a complementary medication such as, a neurovegetative regulation medication, a causality medication, a terrain medication, or a constitution medication was prescribed. Some criteria were defined that grouped the patients according to the response to treatment. According to this response they were grouped into levels of cure, or lack of response. A specific data base was designed for all of this.

Results

The mean age of the patients studied was 38 years, 78% of which were women. Only 16% of the patients had an associated general illness. The time of onset of the symptoms was more than 12 months in 45% of cases. Almost one-third (31%) of the cases were taking conventional treatment (anxiolytics and/or antidepressants) when they came to the clinic. Temperament Medication (or the principal medication or background remedy) of the patient was prescribed in all 220 cases. The start of improvement was observed in 73% of cases (158 patients) in the first follow-up visit, which was 30 days after the initial visit. The patients were considered cured, due to disappearance of symptoms, in 157 (71%) of the cases treated. In 124 (56.37%) of the cases, the follow-up was less than 2 years, and in 84 (38.18%) it was between 2 and 6 years. In 9 (4%) of cases the follow was greater than 10 years. The cure using homeopathic treatment was significantly associated with: a younger age, a lower time since onset of symptoms, and with the absence of a conventional pharmacological treatment prior to consulting the homeopath.

Conclusions

This retrospective review demonstrates that the treatment applied could be effective in the treatment of GAD. It may cover both the somatic manifestations of the anxiety and the deeper fundamental unease that affects the individual.