Natural remedies for anxiety disorders: potential use and clinical applications.

BACKGROUND

Natural remedies have been widely used and generally accepted as established treatments of depressive disorders, leading to the investigation of their potential role and efficacy in the treatment of the various anxiety disorders.

METHODS

Numerous case reports, open-label, and placebo-controlled trials investigating the use of natural remedies in the treatment of anxiety disorders have yielded some encouraging results.

RESULTS

Overall, these studies have indicated a potential role for natural remedies in the treatment of anxiety and suggest that such agents may possess a safer side effects profile when compared to conventional agents. However, these early findings, albeit promising, are yet to be supported by further investigation in large-scale, placebo-controlled studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This article reviews past and present research being performed in this area of clinical interest, while also revealing a remarkable paucity of data.