Premium
Use of mental health services and complementary and alternative medicine in persons with common mental disorders
Author(s) -
Wahlström M.,
Sihvo S.,
Haukkala A.,
Kiviruusu O.,
Pirkola S.,
Isometsä E.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01192.x
Subject(s) - mental health , prevalence of mental disorders , psychiatry , anxiety , comorbidity , panic disorder , national comorbidity survey , medicine , major depressive disorder , clinical psychology , population , alcohol use disorder , anxiety disorder , psychology , alcohol , environmental health , mood , biochemistry , chemistry
Objective: Few studies investigated the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by subjects with mental disorders. We examined the relationship between depressive, anxiety and alcohol‐use disorders and their comorbidity, as well as the relationship between use of CAM and use of mental health services. Method: The Finnish adult (≥30 years) population‐based Health 2000 Study ( n = 5987) collected information on use of CAM plus health and mental health care services. Results: Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder were positively associated and alcohol abuse was negatively associated with use of CAM. The prevalence was highest in persons with comorbidity of anxiety and depressive disorders. The use or perceived usefulness of mental health services did not differ between CAM users and other participants. Conclusion: The relationship between the use of CAM and mental disorders appears to vary depending on the type of mental disorder. Use of CAM seems unrelated to the use and the perceived usefulness of mental health services.