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St. John's Wort for the Treatment of Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (GSAD)

Primary Purpose

Anxiety Disorders, Mental Health

Status
Completed
Phase
Phase 2
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
Sponsored by
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
About
Eligibility
Locations
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Anxiety Disorders focused on measuring Social Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Hypericum, St. John's wort, Medicine, Herbal, Complementary Therapies

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - undefined (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of GSAD Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS) score of 20 or higher Exclusion Criteria: Comorbid anxiety, depressive, or bipolar disorders Schizophrenia Cognitive impairment Substance abuse or dependence within 1 year prior to study entry Any unstable medical condition Clinically significant laboratory or electrocardiogram (EKG) abnormality Currently use psychotropic medications or may need psychotropic medication during the study Psychotherapy within 6 weeks prior to study entry Failed a previous trial of St. John's wort at doses of 1800 mg/day or greater Pregnancy or breastfeeding

Sites / Locations

  • Duke University Medical Center

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Clinical Global Impression (CGI), designed to assess global severity of illness and change in the clinical condition over time

Secondary Outcome Measures

Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS)
Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)
Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS)
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

Full Information

First Posted
July 7, 2005
Last Updated
September 25, 2007
Sponsor
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT00118833
Brief Title
St. John's Wort for the Treatment of Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (GSAD)
Official Title
Placebo-Controlled Trial of Hypericum Perforatum in the Treatment of Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (GSAD)
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
September 2007
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
August 2002 (undefined)
Primary Completion Date
undefined (undefined)
Study Completion Date
June 2006 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Name of the Sponsor
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

4. Oversight

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
This study will determine whether the herbal product St. John's wort is safe and effective in treating generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD). Study hypothesis: Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) is more effective in treating GSAD than placebo.
Detailed Description
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown dramatically over the last decade. Botanical treatments originating from plants have become especially popular for treating conditions such as anxiety and depression. Evidence suggests that the botanical St. John's wort has neurochemical activity similar to that of conventional medications. However, research on the safety and effectiveness of St. John's wort is limited. This study will determine the safety and effectiveness of St. John's wort in treating GSAD, a serious condition characterized by intense fear of various social situations that may cause embarrassment. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either St. John's wort or placebo daily for 10 weeks. Self-report scales will be used to assess participants' GSAD symptoms at study entry and at study completion. Blood collection will occur at every weekly study visit to determine the levels of St. John's wort in the blood.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Anxiety Disorders, Mental Health
Keywords
Social Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Hypericum, St. John's wort, Medicine, Herbal, Complementary Therapies

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 2, Phase 3
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
Double
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
56 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Clinical Global Impression (CGI), designed to assess global severity of illness and change in the clinical condition over time
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS)
Title
Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
Title
Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)
Title
Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS)
Title
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of GSAD Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS) score of 20 or higher Exclusion Criteria: Comorbid anxiety, depressive, or bipolar disorders Schizophrenia Cognitive impairment Substance abuse or dependence within 1 year prior to study entry Any unstable medical condition Clinically significant laboratory or electrocardiogram (EKG) abnormality Currently use psychotropic medications or may need psychotropic medication during the study Psychotherapy within 6 weeks prior to study entry Failed a previous trial of St. John's wort at doses of 1800 mg/day or greater Pregnancy or breastfeeding
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Wei Zhang, MD
Organizational Affiliation
Duke University
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Duke University Medical Center
City
Durham
State/Province
North Carolina
ZIP/Postal Code
27710
Country
United States

12. IPD Sharing Statement

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St. John's Wort for the Treatment of Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (GSAD)

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