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information on longer-term use of St. John’s wort. Although many people use St. John’s
wort as long-term treatment, there is little evidence of long-term safety or efficacy. The
clinical studies have been short (24-26 weeks at the most), and most have been small.
The one exception, the 2002 NIMH/NCCAM Hypericum Depression study, was
inconclusive.
Berkeley Wellness’ 2010 review of Dietary Supplements confirms the “consensus” that
St. John’s wort, "works better than a placebo [and at least as well as tricyclic anti-
depressants or SSRIs] in treating people with mild to moderate depression, at least in
the short term."^8
Consumer Reports found St. John’s wort to be, "likely effective for improving symptoms
of some forms of depression." The significance of the Consumer Reports reference is
that St. John’s wort was one of only 11 popular supplements that: "have been shown to
likely be safe for most people and possibly or likely to be effective in appropriate
doses for certain conditions."^9
The Mayo Clinic states that, “St. John’s wort is effective in treating mild to moderate
depression and [is] relatively safe. ... It has been shown to be as effective as some
prescription antidepressants and with fewer side effects.... Its drawback -- and the
reason [that Mayo] gave it a yellow light instead of a green -- is that it interacts with
many medications and has caused serious side effects.”^10
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine addressed St. John’s
wort in its October, 2012 Clinical Digest:
St. John’s wort has been used for centuries for mental health conditions and is
widely prescribed for depression in Europe. There is public interest in the United
States as well, and many people come to NCCAM’s Web site seeking information on
St. John’s wort for depression, consistently making it one of the top five search
terms every month. However, current evidence for using St. John’s wort for
depression is not conclusive, and the herb can have serious side effects. It is also
important to note that in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has
not approved its use as an over-the-counter or prescription medicine
for depression.^11