The mental health benefits of prescribed medications, psychotherapies, and exercise are rigorously tested through scientific studies. Natural products, known as supplements and sometimes as complementary, alternative, and integrative therapy do exist. A standardized scientific method known as the Randomized Controlled Trials tested and proved effective in some of them.
These medicines are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, the federal government agency which controls the use of medications. Because of this, quality problems with them are sometimes real. They do not need a prescription from a doctor and are bought over the counter in pharmacies and health stores. Sticking to well-known brands is still the most reasonable approach for consumers.
Some scientifically tested natural medicines used in the psychiatric treatment are:
SAMe - for depression
Folic Acid/L-Methyl Folate - for depression as an adjunct to medications
N-Acetylcysteine - for OCD, hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania), skin picking (excoriation disorder), and nail-biting.
L-Tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) - for depression
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (fish oil) - for both unipolar and bipolar depression
Vitamin D - for depression
Melatonin - for insomnia
Resources for additional information can be found below.
The links lead to content on external websites, intellectually owned by them.
NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (by subscription)
Consumer Lab (by subscription)