Clinical efficacy of Sihai Shuyu Pill-Euthyrox for thyroid nodules and real-world research on patients’ anxiety/depression

doi:10.5498/wjp.116703

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World Journal of Psychiatry

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2220-3206

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2026; 16(7): 116703
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.116703

Clinical efficacy of Sihai Shuyu Pill-Euthyrox for thyroid nodules and real-world research on patients’ anxiety/depression

Jing Deng, Yu-Xing Xiao, Ling Wang, Chong Zhang

Jing Deng, Ling Wang, Medical College, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau Special Administrative Region 999078, China

Jing Deng, Department of Medical, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu 610072, Sichuan Province, China

Yu-Xing Xiao, Medical College, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, Sichuan Province, China

Chong Zhang, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu 610072, Sichuan Province, China

Co-corresponding authors: Ling Wang and Chong Zhang.

Author contributions: Deng J, Wang L, and Zhang C contributed to conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology; Deng J, Xiao YX, Wang L, and Zhang C contributed to project administration, resources, software, supervision, validation, visualization, writing the original draft, and review and editing; Wang L and Zhang C contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Supported by the Key Project of Sichuan Medical Association, No. WT2025RXSN01; Open Project of Key Laboratory of Sichuan University, No. 30320220035; and Scientific Research Project of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 2021Zx09.

Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, approval No. 2024-651-1.

Clinical trial registration statement: This study has been registered on the International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trials Registry platform. Registration No. ITMCTR2025000751.

Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 Statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 Statement.

Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.

Corresponding author: Chong Zhang, PhD, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 32 Section 1, West Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu 610072, Sichuan Province, China. zhangchong77@yeah.net

Received: December 26, 2025
Revised: February 12, 2026
Accepted: April 3, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 184 Days and 14.8 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Patients with thyroid nodules (TNs) commonly experience emotional issues, such as anxiety and depression, which impact their quality of life and may adversely affect their treatment outcomes.

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness of Sihai Shuyu Pill combined with Euthyrox for TNs and its impact on patients’ mental health using real-world data and a retrospective cohort design.

METHODS

This study included 120 patients diagnosed with TNs in the Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital between June and December 2024. They were divided into observation and control groups (n = 60 each) according to treatment. The former received Sihai Shuyu Pill-Euthyrox, whereas the latter received only Euthyrox for 3 months. The thyroid function indexes [thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine], TN size alterations, and anxiety and depression were detected and evaluated pre- and post-treatment in both groups.

RESULTS

The experimental group (98.33%) had a higher total effective rate than the control group (91.67%) (P < 0.05). After treatment, the TN volume, nodule counts, and largest nodule diameter were reduced in both groups (P < 0.05), with the experimental group showing more obvious improvement. TSH, free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine levels were reduced in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05), with the experimental group having lower TSH than the control group (P < 0.05). The patient anxiety and depression scores in both groups were reduced after treatment (P < 0.05), with the experimental group exhibiting more significant improvement. The experimental group showed a lower adverse reaction incidence than the control group, although not statistically significant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The combined treatment plan of traditional Chinese and Western medicine has a synergistic advantage in improving nodular symptoms, regulating thyroid function, and alleviating negative emotions, providing evidence-based support for TN treatment.

Keywords: Sihai Shuyu Pill; Euthyrox; Thyroid nodules; Combining treatment; Anxiety; Depression; Real-world research

Core Tip: Thyroid nodules (TNs) represent a common thyroid disorder with incompletely understood pathogenesis. Patients with TNs commonly experience emotional issues, such as anxiety and depression, which can impact their quality of life and may adversely affect their treatment outcomes. In recent years, increasing research has focused on the efficacy of integrated Chinese and Western medicine approaches for TN treatment. Sihai Shuyu Pill is a traditional Chinese herbal formula comprising seaweed, kelp, clam shells, wood fragrant, dried tangerine peel, and other herbs. This formulation functions to nourish the liver, regulate qi, resolve phlegm, and disperse nodules. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat thyroid enlargement and TN caused by liver qi stagnation. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Sihai Shuyu Pill-combined Euthyrox for TNs and its effects on mental health.