Xiao Yao San and Depression
To assess the beneficial and adverse effects of Xiaoyaosan
for depression. Search Strategy. Electronic databases were searched until
December 2009. We included randomized clinical trials testing Xiaoyaosan
against placebo, antidepressants, or combined with antidepressants against
antidepressants alone. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment,
and data analyses were conducted according to the Cochrane standards. Results.
26 randomized trials (involving 1837 patients) were included and the
methodological quality was evaluated as generally low. The pooled results
showed that Xiaoyaosan combined with antidepressants was more effective in
comprehensive effect, the score of HAMD and the score of SDS compared with
antidepressants alone. Xiaoyaosan was superior to antidepressants for the score
of HAMD. However, Xiaoyaosan was not different from placebo for the score of
SDS. There was no adverse effects reported in the trials from Xiaoyaosan.
Conclusions. Xiaoyaosan appears to be effective on improving symptoms in
patients with depression. However, due to poor methodological quality in the
majority of included trials, the potential benefit from Xiaoyaosan need to be
confirmed in rigorous trials and the design and reporting of trials should
follow international standards.
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