SynthesisPhytotherapy research : PTR2018
Herbal medicine for depression and anxiety: A systematic review with assessment of potential psycho-oncologic relevance.
Synthesis in Phytotherapy research : PTR, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 83 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
83 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 217 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects and safety ofFrontiers in pharmacology · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of lavender essential oil (Silexan) capsules among patients suffering from anxiety disorders: A network meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2019Pooled it
- Effect of Chamomile on the Complications of Cancer: A Systematic Review.Integrative cancer therapiesPooled it
- Effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender essential oil on sleep quality, pain, and mental and psychiatric disorders among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Trial
- Effect of a Nursing Program on Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia in Patients After Liver Transplantation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Annals of transplantation · 2025Trial
- Herbal medicines as anxiolytics prior to third molar surgical extraction. A randomized controlled clinical trial.Clinical oral investigations · 2021Trial
- Putative Antidepressant Effect of Chamomile (Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2020Trial
- Impact of Somatic Yoga and Meditation on Fall Risk, Function, and Quality of Life for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Syndrome in Cancer Survivors.Integrative cancer therapiesTrial
- In vivo and In Silico Assessment of Acampe papillosa (Lindl.) Lindl. Seed Extract: A Multi-Pharmacological Approach.Cell biochemistry and biophysics · 2026Article
- Wild Flora Species from Romania with Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Potential: A Global Perspective-Narrative Review.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Safety, Sedative, and Anxiolytic Evaluation of MECS Hard Capsules Using In Silico and In Vivo Approaches.ACS omega · 2026Article
- A cross-sectional study on associated factors of Chinese herbal medicine use in middle-aged and older adults with dyslipidaemia.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Neferine alleviated corticosterone-induced depressive-like behaviors in mice via the inhibition of TNF/NF-κB pathway by binding to PPARγ.Molecular neurobiology · 2026Article
- Interplay between the gut microbiota and MAPK/NF-κ B/Nrf2 signaling in depression: pharmacological insights from traditional Chinese medicine.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Article
- Isorhamnetin Alleviates Early-Life Stress-Induced Anxiety and Depression in Male Mice: Neuroinflammatory Modulation and Sirt1/NF-κB Signaling Insights.Molecular neurobiology · 2025Article
- Exploring photobiomodulation as a complementary approach for mental health: an integrative review.Lasers in medical science · 2025Review
- Anxiety and depression in patients with hepatobiliary and pancreatic malignancies: Influence of disease stage and psychosocial factors.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Low resilience in patients with cancer as a factor influencing anxiety, depression, and quality-of-life.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Article
23 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Anxiety and depression are prevalent among cancer patients, with significant negative impact. Many patients prefer herbs for symptom relief to conventional medications which have limited efficacy/side effects. We identified single-herb medicines that may warrant further study in cancer patients. Our search included PubMed, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Embase, and Cochrane databases, selecting only single-herb randomized controlled trials between 1996 and 2016 in any population for data extraction, excluding herbs with known potential for interactions with cancer treatments. One hundred articles involving 38 botanicals met our criteria. Among herbs most studied (≥6 randomized controlled trials each), lavender, passionflower, and saffron produced benefits comparable to standard anxiolytics and antidepressants. Black cohosh, chamomile, and chasteberry are also promising. Anxiety or depressive symptoms were measured in all studies, but not always as primary endpoints. Overall, 45% of studies reported positive findings with fewer adverse effects compared with conventional medications. Based on available data, black cohosh, chamomile, chasteberry, lavender, passionflower, and saffron appear useful in mitigating anxiety or depression with favorable risk-benefit profiles compared to standard treatments. These may benefit cancer patients by minimizing medication load and accompanying side effects. However, well-designed larger clinical trials are needed before these herbs can be recommended and to further assess their psycho-oncologic relevance.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.