Why did NIH fund a trial of St. Johns wort?
There is considerable public interest in the possibility that St. John’s wort may be an effective treatment for depression. These claims are based on findings from research studies conducted in Europe; however, these studies had several limitations. According to the researchers who led this NIH study, important issues have been raised regarding the existing studies, including: limited information about the use of St. John’s wort in clinically defined major depression; lack of placebo-controlled trials that have included a separate, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant arm; and absence of data regarding long-term use of the extract. In addition, there were concerns that many of the studies had smaller numbers of participants. Because of the growth in Americans’ use of St. John’s wort in recent years and the need to answer important remaining questions about the herb’s efficacy and long-term use for depression, NIH launched a large study of St. John’s wort in 1997
