Abstract
Background: This study aimed to identify frontiers for further studies via brief understanding in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for substance use disorders (SUDs).Materials and Methods: Publications on the use of CAM for treating SUDs were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection from 2001 to 2020 on July 12, 2020, and visualized by CiteSpace V.Results: A total of 3,807 publications were obtained. The USA, China, and England were the leading research centers. However, India and Pakistan have recently focused on assessing CAM for the treatment of SUDs. Frederick L Altice was found to be the most productive author. Addiction ranked first among the frequently cited journals, which exceeded 1,000. The most common CAM therapies were acupuncture and CAM psychotherapies, such as mindfulness meditation.Conclusion: CAM is gaining attention globally for treating SUDs. CAM psychotherapy and acupuncture are hotspots and deserve further study. Researchers should strengthen peer cooperation in this field.
Highlights
This study aimed to identify frontiers for further studies via brief understanding in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for substance use disorders (SUDs)
Some evidence shows the effect of CAM practices, such as mindfulness meditation (MM) and motivational enhancement, in decreasing SUD relapse and substance-related injuries [11, 12]
We visualized a bibliometric analysis of related references by CiteSpace V to shed light on research trends and frontiers in the field of CAM for SUDs over the past 20 years
Summary
This study aimed to identify frontiers for further studies via brief understanding in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for substance use disorders (SUDs). A standard for the treatment of SUDs indicates that the treatment aims to stop or decrease drug use to improve health, recover normal social function, and reduce the risk of complications and relapse [8]. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) offers therapeutic practices that are not typically used in current conventional allopathic medical practice, such as diet, acupuncture, and meditation. Some evidence shows the effect of CAM practices, such as mindfulness meditation (MM) and motivational enhancement, in decreasing SUD relapse and substance-related injuries [11, 12]. With some complementary and alternative therapies for SUDs, such as mind–body therapies, acupuncture, and meditation, proving to be effective, CAM is gaining momentum in addiction medicine [13, 14]. We present a brief understanding of research, development, and frontiers for further study
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