National Institutes of Health • National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
St. John’s Wort and Depression
St. John’s wort, a plant that grows in the wild, has been used for centuries for mental health conditions and is widely prescribed for depression in Europe. There is public interest in the United States as well, and many people come to NCCAM’s Web site seeking information on St. John’s wort for depression, consistently making it one of the top five search terms every month. However, current evidence for using St. John’s wort for depression is not conclusive, and the herb can have serious side effects. It is also important to note that in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved its use as an over-the-counter or prescription medicine for depression.
This issue provides information on what the science says about St. John’s wort for depression, including scientific evidence, side effects and cautions, and tips for talking with your patients.
Time to Talk Tips: 5 Things To Know About St. John’s Wort and Depression
Clinical Guidelines
Scientific Literature
- Systematic Reviews/Reviews/Meta-analysis (PubMed®)
- Randomized Controlled Trials (PubMed®)
- Herb-Drug Interactions (PubMed®)
Research Spotlights
Information for Your Patients
NCCAM Clinical Digest is a service of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NIH, DHHS. NCCAM Clinical Digest, a monthly e-newsletter, offers evidence-based information on CAM, including scientific literature searches, summaries of NCCAM-funded research, fact sheets for patients, and more.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll-free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov. NCCAM is 1 of 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health, the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States.
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