Surgeon General
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
"No conclusions about the role, if any, of complementary and alternative treatments in mental health or illness can be accepted with certainty, as very few claims or studies meet acceptable scientific standards," a report on mental health from the Surgeon General states. Released Dec. 13 at a press conference featuring Surgeon General David Satcher, MD/PhD, HHS Secretary Donna Shalala and Tipper Gore, the report says, "In many cases, preparations are not standardized and consist of a variable mixture of substances, any of which may be the active ingredient(s). Purity, bioavailability, amount and timing of doses...cannot be taken for granted with natural products." However, the report notes several government studies that should help shed light on such products' efficacy are scheduled to begin shortly. A trial of St. John's wort funded by the National Institutes of Health already is underway (1"The Tan Sheet" June 15, 1998, p. 18)