Supplement that can help treat mild to moderate depression
- Lizette Rios
- Feb 9, 2018
- 3 min read
Introduction
This study looked at treating patients with Rhodiola rosea L. supplement who were suffering from mild to moderate depression.
Mild to moderate depression – mood disturbance, sleep disturbance, lack of mental energy, somatic complaints (e.g anxiety) and low self-esteem.
Methods
This was a double-blind study, meaning individuals did not know whether they were consuming the placebo or the supplement.
The placebo is a harmless pill that has no physiological effect on the individual.
Scientists gave patients the following questionnaires prior to and after treatment. Skilled physicians interpreted the results.
HAMD (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) – is a multiple-choice questionnaire to see how severe depression is for an individual. It rates symptoms observed in depression such as low mood, insomnia, agitation, anxiety and weight loss.
8-13 = Mild Depression
14-18 = Moderate Depression
19-22 = Severe Depression
> or =23 = Very Severe Depression
BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) – is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report survey used as a psychometric test for measuring depression severity.
Total Score: Levels of Depression
1-10 = These ups and downs are considered normal
11-16 = Mild mood disturbance
17-20 = Borderline clinical depression
21-30 = Moderate depression
31-40 = Severe depression
Over 40 = Extreme depression
Link to the BDI questionnaire.
Results
* HAMD (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression)
* BDI (Beck Depression Inventory)
Conclusion
Looking at HAMD and BDI scores for the treated patients, there were great improvements that were made. Treated patients improved their insomnia, emotional instability, and somatic complaints (e.g. anxiety). The only difference between the low dose and high dose seemed to be the results for self-esteem. Self-esteem was improved by consuming a high dose (680mg/day) of Rhodiola rosea L. supplement. There were no negative side effects that the patients reported in the treated groups.
*The scores for levels of depression for HAMD and BDI questionnaires are listed to be used as a reference for the specific links to the webpages, the study may have used a different scoring criterion.
Reflection
This experiment used a small sample size, more individuals in a study are needed to establish significance. Repeating an experiment like this would be valuable for confirming their results. This study was a questionnaire-based experiment, written data from the patient’s regarding their well-being was collected and analyzed. It would be interesting to find or conduct a study based on tangible, biological markers that can be measured to confirm the effectiveness of the treatment. This does not discredit the current study, questionnaires provide valuable data that is needed to establish whether the treatment works or not. People’s feelings matter, questionnaires provide insight for scientists to find novel treatment methods and physicians to be able to diagnose patients.
The supplement can be purchased online or at your local supplement shop. The link below is the only 340mg dosage I could find, they do have other dosages available.
Link to Rhodiola Extract Supplement.
I have also attached a link to depression hotline numbers available if needed.
Link to Depression Hotline Numbers.
*Before consuming supplements, consult with a physician, individuals can be affected differently.
Sources
Scientific Article courtesy of:
Darbinyan, V., Aslanyan, G., Amroyan, E., Gabrielyan, E., Malmström, C., & Panossian, A. (2007). Clinical trial ofRhodiola roseaL. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 61(5), 343-348. doi:10.1080/08039480701643290
Image courtesy of:
M. (2017, November 23). Les végétariens seraient-ils plus sujets à la dépression ? Retrieved February 09, 2018, from https://sohealthy.fr/les-vegetariens-sujets-a-la-depression/
Image courtesy of:
Customer, H., S, T., F, R., & J. (2017, December 18). GNC. Retrieved February 09, 2018, from http://www.gnc.com/rhodiola/193922.html?rkg_id=h-a2f7db04db9347aa7f7cf73d935ee1ff_t-1518150502&gclid=Cj0KCQiAh_DTBRCTARIsABlT9MYttiX3apwuwwKegWh8kxFyHFjS-nckc0DVVFqpeU5iW-KXQkyYutoaAkhWEALw_wcB&mrkgcl=1098&flagtype=nonbrand&vendor=none&adpos=1o1&product_id=193922&channel=ppc&mrkgadid=3200889169&device=c&creative=189757865656&network=g
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World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. 18th WMA General Assembly, Helsinki (Finland), June 1964 and 52nd WMA General Assembly, Edinburgh (Scotland) October 2000.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington D.C.: APA; 1994.
Schwab J, Bialow M, Clemmons R, Martin P, Holzer C. The Beck Depression Inventory in medical inpatients. Acta Psychiatr Scan
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