Psychologists and complementary and alternative medicine for depression: Predictive and outcome variables for personal and clinical use

Depression is the most commonly treated mental health disorder in the United States. However, some people do not experience complete satisfaction with standard psychotherapy and psychopharmacology treatment for depression. Instead, some individuals, in conjunction with professional treatments, use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat depression. This study examines the personal experience clinical psychologists have with CAM and how this impacts their rates of CAM suggestion to their clients. Participants for this study were randomly selected clinical psychologists who are members of the American Psychological Association. Psychologists were mailed questionnaires, soliciting their demographic information and personal use of CAM as well as their rates of suggestion of CAM for depression. It was found that female psychologists, non-Caucasian psychologists, psychologists over the age of fifty, psychologists who live in an urban area of the United States, and psychologists who have knowledge of CAM treatments through professional training, reading, formal course work, or personal use suggest CAM to their clients more than psychologists who do not have knowledge of CAM. It was also confirmed that psychologists whose clients report positive experiences with CAM suggest CAM treatments more often than psychologists whose clients have not reported positive experiences with CAM.