Impact of Alternative Therapies on Sleep Quality and Quality of Life in Patients with Depressive and Anxiety Disorders- A Comparative Study

Abstract

: Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders impose a substantial global burden, with significant associated impairments in sleep quality and quality of life. Standard pharmacotherapy achieves full remission in only 30– 40% of patients, and residual functional impairments frequently persist. The impact of structured multimodal alternative therapy as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy remains underexplored in Indian psychiatric practice. Methods: A prospective, comparative interventional study enrolled 100 patients with depressive or anxiety disorder (ICD-10) randomised to Group P (pharmacotherapy only, n=50) or Group A (pharmacotherapy plus structured alternative therapy, n=50). Outcomes HAM-A, HAM-D, Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), and WHOQOL-BREF were assessed at baseline and Week 12. Results: Both groups were comparable at baseline (all p>0.05). By Week 12, Group A demonstrated significantly superior outcomes across all measures (all p<0.001): HAM-A reduction −10.20 vs −5.28; HAM-D −8.88 vs −3.72; SQS −23.34 vs −11.18; WHOQOL-BREF gain +14.92 vs +7.56 approximately twice the improvement of pharmacotherapy alone. Therapy frequency was the strongest independent predictor of both sleep and quality of life improvement (p<0.001). Conclusion: Structured multimodal alternative therapy produces significantly superior outcomes in sleep quality and quality of life compared to pharmacotherapy alone. These findings support its formal incorporation as a standard component of treatment for depressive and anxiety disorders.