A Review of Side Effects and Adverse Events of Non-Drug Medicine (Nonpharmaceutical Complementary and Alternative Medicine): Psychotherapy, Mind-Body Medicine and Clinical Holistic Medicine

Søren Ventegodt, Quality of Life Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
Joav Merrick, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Ministry of Social Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel

Abstract

Background: Review of side effects of psychotherapy, bodywork (without high-energy manipulations), mind-body medicine, body-psychotherapy, sexology, clinical holistic medicine and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Method: We reviewed 857 records from a combined Medline/PubMed and PsycINFO search on “psychotherapy AND side effects" We also searched for “mind-body medicine," “bodywork," “body-psychotherapy," “clinical holistic medicine," “CAM," “sexology," “sexological examination," “physiotherapy," and specific side effects like “psychosis," “re-traumatization," “suicide," "hypomania," “depersonalisation," “derealization" and the drugs Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25), “psilosybin," “mescaline," “Peyote" and MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA) for searches. We looked for all case reports 1950-2009 and studies that included data on side effects and negative events.

Results: Non-drug medicine did not have significant side effects (NNH (number needed to harm)> 18,000) and the only severe side effect was rare, brief reactive psychosis, a temporary illness with full recovery (NNH >65,000). Non-drug therapy did not significantly cause re-traumatization, implanted memories, or induction of suicide (NNH>100,000). The most intensive psychotherapy enhanced with psychotropic (hallucinogenic) drugs had serious, but rare side effects and only for the mentally ill, psychiatric patients: brief reactive psychosis (NNH=556), suicide attempts (NNH=833), and suicide (NNH=2,500).

Conclusions: Non-drug (non-pharmaceutical) medicine seems to be safe even for seriously physically and mentally ill patients and, whenever efficient, therefore recommended as treatment of choice.

Submitted: June 11, 2008 · Accepted: March 18, 2009 · Published: May 12, 2009

Recommended Citation

Ventegodt, Søren and Merrick, Joav (2009) "A Review of Side Effects and Adverse Events of Non-Drug Medicine (Nonpharmaceutical Complementary and Alternative Medicine): Psychotherapy, Mind-Body Medicine and Clinical Holistic Medicine," Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine: Vol. 6 : Iss. 1, Article 16.
DOI: 10.2202/1553-3840.1156
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/jcim/vol6/iss1/16

 
 
 
 

ISSN: 1553-3840 ©1999-2009 The Berkeley Electronic Press™ All rights reserved.

To submit, subscribe, recommend this journal to your library, or sign up for email alerts, please visit: http://www.bepress.com/jcim