(From the article – ‘Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Substance Use Disorders: A Scientometric Analysis and Visualization of its Use Between 2001 & 2020’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.722240/full)
BACKGROUND:-
Substance Use Disorders(SUDs) are a group of relapsing and remitting type of chronic mental disabilities, wherein, the individual’s control over the usage of legal or illegal substance consumption impairs, leading to a cluster of cognitive, behavioural and physiological symptoms. Some commonly abused Substances include Alcohol, Nicotine followed by other illicit drugs.
The objectives of treatment for SUDs are:
- To stop or decrease consumption
- To regain normal social behaviour
- To reduce relapses and complications
SUDs are multifactorial diseases involving individual’s physiology, biology, psychology and other social factors, thus, requiring multidisciplinary treatment approach. But, the current conventional Allopathic treatment doesn’t typically include practices that target all the aspects mentioned, hence, leading to higher rate of relapse, despite the guidelines-recommended treatments.
This is where, the role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) emerges. CAM offers holistic therapeutic practices such as Diet, Acupuncture, Meditation, Motivational enhancement, etc., helping in reduction of SUD relapse and other related complications. While some CAM methods are gaining momentum, some forms still lack evidence regarding their efficacy in treatment. This opens up the need for studying the influence of CAM in SUDs. A study was conducted to analyse CAM in treatment of SUDs.
OBJECTIVE:-
To understand the efficacy of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Substance Use Disorders.
METHODS:-
Bibliometric Analysis was made in the field of CAM for SUDs over past 20 years, visualised by CiteSpace V, involving different countries, categories and methods with a total of 5,687 records.
RESULTS:-
- Annual publications on CAM for SUDs has an ascent, since 2015
- USA, China and England (Developed countries) ranked high in publication
- Acupuncture and Psychotherapy were most
- Morphine was majorly abused substance
- Alcoholism was best treated with Meditation
CONCLUSION:-
CAM for SUDs has been increasing presently. This study helps in education, training and scientific research guidance. However, the evidence-based research is not up to the mark and need attention. So, CAM is the holistic and most promising approach in SUDs.
Written by -Dr. Harshitha Voore (BHMS)