Yang Y, Chen YK, Xie MZ. Exploring the transformative impact of traditional Chinese medicine on depression: Insights from animal models. World J Psychiatry 2024; 14(5): 607-623 [PMID: 38808079 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i5.607]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Meng-Zhou Xie, MD, PhD, Professor, School of Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 300, Bachelor Road, Hanpu Science and Education Park, Yuelu District, Changsha 410200, Hunan Province, China. xiemengzhou@hnucm.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. May 19, 2024; 14(5): 607-623 Published online May 19, 2024. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i5.607
Exploring the transformative impact of traditional Chinese medicine on depression: Insights from animal models
Yan Yang, Yan-Kun Chen, Meng-Zhou Xie
Yan Yang, School of Nursing, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410200, Hunan Province, China
Yan-Kun Chen, Precision Medicine R&D Center, Zhuhai Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong Province, China
Yan-Kun Chen, Meng-Zhou Xie, School of Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410200, Hunan Province, China
Meng-Zhou Xie, Hunan Engineering Technology Research Center for Medicinal and Functional Food, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410200, Hunan Province, China
Meng-Zhou Xie, Key Laboratory of TCM Heart and Lung Syndrome Differentiation and Medicated Diet and Dietotherapy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410200, Hunan Province, China
Author contributions: Yang Y and Chen YK designed the research and study conceptualization; Yang Y and Xie MZ wrote the paper; Chen YK and Xie MZ received the funding for this study; Chen YK and Xie MZ reviewed the data; Yang Y revised the paper. All the authors approved the final version of the submitted paper.
Supported bythe 2022 Hunan Provincial Department of Education Scientific Research Project, No. 22C0188; and the 2022 Key R&D Projects in Hunan Province, No. 2020SK2123.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Meng-Zhou Xie, MD, PhD, Professor, School of Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 300, Bachelor Road, Hanpu Science and Education Park, Yuelu District, Changsha 410200, Hunan Province, China. xiemengzhou@hnucm.edu.cn
Received: November 27, 2023 Revised: February 6, 2024 Accepted: April 28, 2024 Published online: May 19, 2024 Processing time: 171 Days and 1.1 Hours
Abstract
Depression, a prevalent and complex mental health condition, presents a significant global health burden. Depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders; deaths from it account for 14.3% of people worldwide. In recent years, the integration of complementary and alternative medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has gained attention as a potential avenue for addressing depression. This comprehensive review critically assesses the efficacy of TCM interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms. An in-depth look at different research studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses is used in this review to look into how TCM practices like herbal formulations, acupuncture, and mind-body practices work. The review looks at the quality of the evidence, the rigor of the methods, and any possible flaws in the current studies. This gives us an idea of where TCM stands right now in terms of treating depression. This comprehensive review aims to assess the efficacy of TCM interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms. In order to learn more about their possible healing effects, the study also looks into how different types of TCM work, such as herbal formulas, acupuncture, and mind-body practices.
Core Tip: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) emerges as a promising area for intervention in the face of the global health burden that depression poses. This review scrutinizes the efficacy of TCM in alleviating depression, delving into the intricate mechanisms behind herbal formulations, acupuncture, and mind-body practices. As one of the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide, depression demands innovative approaches, and the integration of complementary and alternative medicine offers a compelling avenue. Through evaluating research studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses, this review not only assesses the current state of TCM in depression management but also its potential for transformative impact, bridging ancient roots with modern resilience.
