Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan; Behnam Masmouei; Omid Soufi; Hamed Delam
Abstract
Background: One of the treatments for depression and anxiety which has significantly increased in recent years in most countries is drinking lavender and chamomile herbal tea. The current study aimed to compare the result of these two types of herbal drinks on anxiety and depression in the postmenopausal ...
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Background: One of the treatments for depression and anxiety which has significantly increased in recent years in most countries is drinking lavender and chamomile herbal tea. The current study aimed to compare the result of these two types of herbal drinks on anxiety and depression in the postmenopausal women.Methods: The present study is a randomized clinical trial conducted in 2020. It was recorded with the code of IRCT20090304001742N6 in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials. The total sample size was 96 people. In the current study, the depression questionnaire (created by Beck) and anxiety questionnaire (created by Spielberger) were used to assess the contributors. Each intervention group received 2 g of dried lavender and chamomile leaves, which were cooked twice daily—once in the morning and once at night—in 300 ml of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes—as part of the intervention. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, paired t-tests, and chi-square. Results: The average score of depression in the lavender tea group was reduced from 21.00±4.10 to 18.56±3.24 (P<0.001). In the group which consumed chamomile herbal tea, the average score of depression in the pre-intervention stage was 22.00±3.97, while after consuming chamomile herbal tea, it decreased to 18.31±3.05 (P<0.001). The mean score of depression among the groups that used lavender and the control group showed a significant difference. Although there was a non-significant difference between the average anxiety (state and trait) scores in the control group at the start and end of the study (P=0.058, P=0.083), there was a significant difference between the mean anxiety (state and trait) scores in the intervention groups before and after the intervention (P<0.001). Furthermore, the average score of depression between the group that used lavender and the control group displayed a significant difference (P=0.021).Conclusions: In general, drinking lavender or chamomile herbal tea could alleviate the level of anxiety and depression in postmenopausal women.
Khadijeh Asadi Sarvestani; Maryam Navaee; Razieh Rayanpour
Abstract
Background: A significant proportion of cancer patients use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) worldwide and especially in Middle Eastern countries. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and patterns of using Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) and Complementary and Alternative ...
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Background: A significant proportion of cancer patients use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) worldwide and especially in Middle Eastern countries. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and patterns of using Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among female cancer patients in Zahedan, southeast of Iran. Also, this study sought to determine whether the patients disclosed the use of ITM and CAM to their physicians.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, 130 female patients, referred to three cancer treatment centers in Zahedan, were selected via the convenience sampling method, from November 2019 to May 2020. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire. The analysis of data and relationships between the variables was performed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient test, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) was highly and moderately used by 14.6% and 62.3% of the patients, respectively; more than 70% of them reported the use of herbal preparations (herbal medicines, medicinal plants, and herbal distillates). Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) was utilized at a moderate level by 91.5% of the participants. The prevalence of diet therapy and the use of vitamins and mineral supplements was over 56% and the increased use of CAM was associated with a higher monthly income. Although 92.3% of the patients were undergoing treatment, a significant percentage of them (80.8%) did not disclose the use of ITM or CAM to their physicians.Conclusion: The results highlighted the necessity of improving the physician-patient relationship in order to increase the patients’ trust and willingness to consult their physicians about the use of ITM and CAM. Our results also shed light on the need to educate patients about the necessity of consulting a physician about the use of such therapies to minimize the safety concerns.