Use of Alternative and Complementary Therapies in Population with Depressive and Anxiety Disorders: Results of a Survey in Mexico City

International literature reports the growing use of alternative and/or complementary medicines by persons with emotional disorders, particularly depression or anxiety. The aim of this study is therefore to determine the therapeutic resources used by the population to treat emotional problems and to analyze the prevalence of these practices in persons with anxiety or depressive disorders. The study was conducted on the inhabitants of six neighborhoods in Mexico City. They were all selected on the basis of the criteria established in a multi-stage, stratified random sample design. The diagnoses of mental disorders were obtained on the basis of the ICD-10 criteria. For the analysis of service use, the therapies were grouped into two categories, self care (home remedies, self-medication, physical activities, etc.) and alternative and/or complementary services (self-help groups, traditional Mexican medicine, clergy, etc.). Results: 19.2% of the sample met the diagnostic criteria for one or more disorders at least once in their lifetime. An analysis of the disorders, divided into two main groups, anxiety disorder and depressive episodes, showed that the prevalence of self-care practices are 76.6% in people with anxiety disorders and 72.7% with depressive episodes. The use of alternative medicines (53.2% and 59.1%) was similar. The logistic regression analysis showed that the probability of using self-care practices is higher in persons with an anxiety disorder (OR=3.11), women (OR=1.74) and persons with major educational level (OR=1.93). The likelihood of using an alternative or complementary medicine increases among people experiencing a depressive episode (OR=3.23) and anxiety disorders (OR=3.45).