Quality of abstracts of randomized controlled trials on alternative and complementary therapies for anxiety: cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: To assess the quality of summaries of randomized controlled trials on alternative and complementary therapy for anxiety.

Methods: The quality of abstracts was assessed using the 17-item CONSORT checklist. PubMed was selected as the database for identifying relevant abstracts. The search was performed in May 2023 using the following search strategy: "anxiety"[All Fields] AND "alternative and complementary therapies"[All Fields]. Filters were applied for randomized controlled trials published between 2018 and 2022, with available abstracts and articles published in English.

Results/Findings: A selection of 303 abstracts on randomized controlled trials on alternative and complementary therapies for anxiety were analysed. The median total score on the 17-item CONSORT checklist was 7 (IQR = 6–8). The items most frequently included were the research objective, outcome measures, and research conclusion. The items that were most often missing were the source of funding for the research, which was not mentioned in any of the abstracts, adverse effects, and the method of randomization into the test and control groups. A greater proportion of studies had significant results for the primary outcome.

Conclusions: According to the CONSORT checklist, the quality of abstracts of randomized controlled trials on complementary and alternative therapies for anxiety was generally low. Reporting of funding, harms, and randomization methods was rare to absent, reducing the transparency and interpretability of the published research. These findings highlight the need for improved reporting quality in future abstracts.