Abstract
Substance addiction poses a significant public health challenge globally, with diverse
treatment approaches continually under exploration. Homeopathy, a complementary medical
system, has gained attention for its potential role in managing substance addiction.
However, the existing literature on homeopathic interventions in this context remains
scattered and heterogeneous. The primary objective of this scoping review is to systematically
assess and map the existing literature on homeopathic interventions for various types
of substance addiction to understand the extent and nature of available evidence in
the management of substance addiction disorders and highlight gaps that warrant further
investigation. A systematic search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cochrane
Library, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine-specific databases, using a predefined
search strategy for studies published until December 2023, with a focus on various
substance addictions and homeopathic interventions. Data extraction and synthesis
involved categorizing key themes and summarizing findings to provide a systematic
presentation of the literature. A total of 17 full-text articles were assessed for
eligibility, resulting in a final sample of nine studies meeting predefined criteria.
These studies, conducted between 1994 and 2021, varied in design, such as single-arm
studies and randomized controlled trials. Key themes extracted from the studies included
the types of substances addressed and homeopathic interventions employed. The synthesis
revealed notable patterns and trends, including positive outcomes such as reductions
in cravings and improvements in withdrawal symptoms across various substance addictions.
The observed findings suggest a significant paucity and heterogeneity in the in the
current state of evidence, thus highlighting, the need for more rigorous and standardized
research in this field. This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of the
current evidence on homoeopathic interventions for substance addiction.
Keywords
homeopathic treatment - substance addiction - disorders - scoping review - treatment
approaches
