Five Clinical Studies

The convergence of findings from these five outcome studies strongly supports the concept that flower essences may be used adjunctively to facilitate the resolution of mild to moderate depression.

This article presents the findings of a series of studies conducted to determine the clinical efficacy of flower essences on the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Funding for the study was provided by the Flower Essence Society. Therapists participating in the study did so on a volunteer basis. Five independent clinical outcome studies are presented, each lending evidence towards understanding the clinical effects of flower essences on the treatment of depression. The results of these studies were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D). A time series analysis of the data was conducted using an ANOVA(analysis of variance) for repeated measures. Four of the studies were conducted by therapists in Cuba under the auspices of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health. The first of these studies examined over 100 patients, of which approximately half completed therapy. They were tracked over a period of five months, with an outcome indicating a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. The second and third studies utilized 20 patient/subjects and examined the effects of flower essence therapy over a 2-month and 3- month period of time. Again, significant drops in depression scores were noted during the first month, with further decreases during the second and third months. Both studies show reductions of the BDI total score of 76-77%. The fourth study utilized 24 cases over a 3-month period of time. Significant decreases in depressions were noted for the first two months, with this stabilizing at a 60 to 80% reduction during the third month.

The fifth study entailed a multi-site clinical trial conducted in the United States. It has been published elsewhere (Cram, 2001b). This study of 12 depressed subjects included a one-month baseline followed by 3 months of treatment that entailed usual care along with flower essence therapy. The findings indicated a stable baseline, followed by a 50% reduction in depression scores when flower essence therapy was introduced. This clinical change was maintained over a period of 3 months.

While none of these studies utilized a randomized control group, the convergence of findings from these five outcome studies strongly supports the concept that flower essences may be used adjunctively to facilitate the resolution of mild to moderate depression. 

Read Five Clinical Studies Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Flower Essence Therapy in the Treatment of Depression.