Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine

The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine was established in 1967 by Abram Hoffer. It publishes studies in nutritional and orthomolecular medicine. There is controversy surrounding the journal, as the validity of the field of orthomolecular medicine is not widely accepted by mainstream medicine.

History

In 1967, Hoffer found it increasingly difficult to publish reports on his studies of megavitamin therapies and claimed that his studies were rejected in a conspiracy of mainstream medicine, prompted by what he alleged to be extended conflicts of interest on the part of the American Psychiatric Association.[1][2] The Journal of Schizophrenia followed the formation of the Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation and the American Schizophrenia Association. Hoffer and Humphry Osmond, who developed the hypothesis that schizophrenia is caused by the endogenous production of an epinephrine (adrenaline) based hallucinogen, were called before the Committee of Ethics of the American Psychiatric Association to explain why they were publicizing a treatment, called xenobiotic psychiatry by Bernard Rimland, which was considered outside of standard psychiatric practice.[3] Hoffer claims that one of the assistant editors of the American Journal of Psychiatry announced that he would never allow any article from Hoffer's group to appear in his journal.

Several name changes occurred: to Schizophrenia; then to Orthomolecular Psychiatry, ostensibly to reflect the increased application of this type of therapy to other mental illnesses; then to Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine.[4]

Controversial status

The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine is not indexed by MEDLINE, a database of biomedical literature. Journals are selected for MEDLINE by the National Library of Medicine based on scope and coverage, quality of content, quality of editorial work, intended audience, quality of the layout, printing, graphics, and illustrations.[5] Orthomolecular proponents have ascribed the journal's exclusion from MEDLINE as confirmation of an alleged bias against orthomolecular medicine.[6] The editors of the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine compare it favorably with and as similar to Medical Hypotheses, which is indexed.[7] The journal is classified as a "Non-recommended Periodical" by the alternative medicine watchdog website, Quackwatch.org. Quackwatch is run by a psychiatrist named Stephen Joel Barrett.[8]

Notes

  1. ↑ Megavitamin Therapy In Reply To Task Force Report on Megavitamin and Orthomolecular Therapy in Psychiatry. Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation. August 1976
  2. ↑ Abram Hoffer, Adventures in Psychiatry: The Scientific Memoirs of Dr. Abram Hoffer, KOS Publishing, Toronto, 2005 Review.
  3. ↑ Article by Hoffer, accessed 23 Sept 2006.
  4. ↑ Archives. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. Accessed online 28 November 2007
  5. ↑ National Library of Medicine page on journal selection for MEDLINE, accessed 23 Sept 2006.
  6. ↑ Saul, Andrew W. (August/September 2006.) "Editorial: Medline bias." Townsend Letter. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
  7. ↑ AW Saul, Vitamin Therapy Censorship: Censorship of Vitamin Therapy Research by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, DoctorYourself.Com, Jan 2006, accessed 24 Sept 2006
  8. ↑ List of Nonrecommended Periodicals at Quackwatch.org, accessed 31 May 2011.

External links

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