NCT00118833

St. John's Wort for the Treatment of Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (GSAD)

Placebo-Controlled Trial of Hypericum Perforatum in the Treatment of Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (GSAD)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2 / Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 56 (estimated)
• Sponsor: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) · NIH
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will determine whether the herbal product St. John's wort is safe and effective in treating generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD). Study hypothesis: Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) is more effective in treating GSAD than placebo.

Detailed description

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown dramatically over the last decade. Botanical treatments originating from plants have become especially popular for treating conditions such as anxiety and depression. Evidence suggests that the botanical St. John's wort has neurochemical activity similar to that of conventional medications. However, research on the safety and effectiveness of St. John's wort is limited. This study will determine the safety and effectiveness of St. John's wort in treating GSAD, a serious condition characterized by intense fear of various social situations that may cause embarrassment. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either St. John's wort or placebo daily for 10 weeks. Self-report scales will be used to assess participants' GSAD symptoms at study entry and at study completion. Blood collection will occur at every weekly study visit to determine the levels of St. John's wort in the blood.

Conditions

• Anxiety Disorders
• Mental Health

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)

Timeline

• Start date: 2002-08-01
• Completion: 2006-06-01
• First posted: 2005-07-12
• Last updated: 2007-09-26

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States