McGarry H, Pirotta M, Hegarty K, Gunn J
Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, 200 Berkeley Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia.
Complement Ther Med. 2007 Jun;15(2):142-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2006.02.002. Epub 2006 Apr 18.
St. John's Wort (SJW), also known as Hypericum perforatum, is a herbal remedy available over-the-counter. There is evidence that it can treat mild to moderate depression but has potential side effects and important drug interactions.
To determine general practitioners' (GPs') knowledge and recommendation of SJW for mild to moderate depression within a climate of widespread community use of complementary therapies and debate about regulation.
Postal survey of a random sample of 350 Australian GPs.
Forty-eight percent responded. One-third (31%) reported recommending SJW to patients with mild to moderate depression. Of these, only one-third (32%) reported specific dosage instructions. Respondents' knowledge of side effects and interactions was much less than for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants.
Australian GPs know less about safety of SJW than antidepressants and do not widely recommend it to patients. Despite this, many patients use SJW, probably in combination with other pharmaceuticals. Effective dissemination of further research into effectiveness and risk profiles of complementary therapies is needed to inform health professionals, regulatory bodies and consumers.
圣约翰草（SJW），又称贯叶连翘，是一种非处方草药疗法。有证据表明它可治疗轻至中度抑郁症，但存在潜在副作用及重要的药物相互作用。
在补充疗法广泛应用于社区且存在监管争议的背景下，确定全科医生（GPs）对圣约翰草治疗轻至中度抑郁症的了解及推荐情况。
对350名澳大利亚全科医生进行随机抽样的邮政调查。
48%的人回复。三分之一（31%）的人报告曾向轻至中度抑郁症患者推荐圣约翰草。其中，仅有三分之一（32%）的人报告了具体的用药剂量说明。受访者对副作用及相互作用的了解远少于对选择性5-羟色胺再摄取抑制剂类抗抑郁药的了解。
澳大利亚全科医生对圣约翰草安全性的了解不如对抗抑郁药的了解，且未广泛向患者推荐。尽管如此，许多患者仍使用圣约翰草，可能还与其他药物联用。需要有效传播关于补充疗法有效性和风险概况的进一步研究，以便为卫生专业人员、监管机构和消费者提供信息。
