Effectiveness of individualized homeopathic treatment for depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Published: 2015 · Modality: Homeopathy · Participants: 133
Study summary
A high-quality clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of individualized homeopathic treatment compared to placebo in patients suffering from moderate to severe depression, in peri and post menopausal women. After 6 weeks the conclusion's were significant success to treatment of homeopathy.
What is commonly claimed
133 participants, reported improvements as stated; the primary paper was retracted by PLoS ONE over study-design concerns (which the authors dispute), not over the data themselves. The editors held that the individualized treatment and diagnostic methodology were not reported in enough detail to reproduce the study, and that the design could not rule out placebo effects.
What the study actually found
After a 6-week treatment, homeopathic group was more effective than placebo by 5 points in Hamilton Scale Homeopathic group was superior to placebo in Greene Climacteric Scale (8.6 points). Fluoxetine was not different from placebo in Greene climacteric Scale. This study was conducted in the outpatient homeopathy service of a public research hospital in Mexico City