Complementary and alternative therapies for generalized anxiety disorder: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent and impairing psychiatric disorder, which is a great threat to people’s mental health, and imposes a major burden on individuals, families and society. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies is a potential treatment for GAD, however, the selection strategies of different CAM therapies in clinical practice is still unclear, and the purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of different CAM interventions using systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS: Based on the strategy, the authors will retrieve a total of 9 electronic databases by January 2023. After a series of screening, the 2 researchers will use Aggregate Data Drug Information System (ADDIS) and Stata software to analyze the data extracted from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CAM therapies for the GAD. Finally, the evidence grade of the results will be evaluated. RESULTS: This study will provide a reliable evidence for the selection of CAM therapies for GAD. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will provide references for evaluating the influence of different CAM therapies for GAD, and provide a choice basis for clinical decision-making.