Abstract

Background: Depression is a common psychiatric disorder and a major worldwide health problem. Although several pharmaceutical agents are available for the treatment of depression, they are sometimes ineffective because patients cannot tolerate the side effects and stop taking their medication. Many herbs can play an important role in the treatment of psychiatric disorders with fewer side effects. Objective: To compare the efficacy of Cuscuta chinensis with fluoxetine in the treatment of major depression. Design and setting: Sixty-eight adult outpatients who met the criteria for major depression based on the structured clinical interview as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) participated in a six-week two-armed double-blind randomized controlled trial.Intervention: Patients were randomly assigned to receive C. chinensis or fluoxetine for six weeks. Outcome measures: Both groups filled out the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a questionnaire to evaluate side effects at baseline and at 2, 4 and 6 weeks after onset of treatment. Results: The C. chinensis group recorded a significant decrease in BDI-II scores compared to the fluoxetine group (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between groups in terms of observed side effects; however, some complications were significantly lower in the C. chinensis group compared to the fluoxetine group. Conclusion: C. chinensis appears to have antidepressant properties with fewer side effects. This herb is effective and safe in the treatment of major depression and could be administered to depressed patients.