RECENT RESEARCH
Background : Evidence suggests that menopause can be associated with a variety of negative psychological changes such as depression and anxiety , and improving the mental health status of women during menopause is one of the important priorities and challenges of the health system . The aim of this study was to determine the effect of saffron ( Crocus sativus L ., Iridaceae ) herbal tea on happiness in postmenopausal women .
Methods : In this randomized clinical trial which was conducted in 2021 , 72 postmenopausal women were enrolled and divided into intervention and control groups . The randomization blocks method was used for random allocation , and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was utilized to measure the scores . The intervention included the use of 30 mg of dried stigmas of the saffron plant , which was boiled once ( in the morning , in 300 ml of boiling water for 10 – 15 min ) and consumed with white rock candy as one cup of saffron tea daily . To compare the trend of changes and after removing the effect of other variables , generalized estimating equation ( GEE ) was used .
Results : There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in any of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics ( p > 0.05 ). The results of paired samples t-test showed that the happiness mean score in the intervention group increased significantly ( p < 0.001 ) from 42.93 ± 8.54 to 61.58 ± 8.24 , while in the control group , there was no significant difference between the happiness mean score at the beginning and end of the study ( p = 0.861 ). Also , after applying the treatment program in the intervention group , there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the happiness mean scores ( p < 0.001 ).
Conclusion : Saffron herbal tea had a positive effect on reducing depression and increasing the happiness score ; thus , it is recommended that it should be used as a complementary treatment in consultation with the treating physician .
Trial registration : The present study was registered with the code of IRCT20210403050818N1 ( Registration date : 09 / 04 / 2021 ) in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials . It was also approved by the Ethics Committee of Larestan University of Medical Sciences ( Approval ID : IR . LARUMS . REC . 1399.017 ).
Lifestyle medicine
Balata M , Gbreel MI , Elrashedy AA , Westenfeld R , Pfister R , Zimmer S , Nickenig G , Becher MU , Sugiura A . Clinical effects of cognitive behavioral therapy in heart failure patients : A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials . BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies . 2023 ; 23 , Article number : 280 .
Background : About 20 – 40 % of people with Heart failure ( HF ) suffer from some depression , which is 4 – 5 % greater than the overall population . This depression can lead to undesirable outcomes , including elevated mortality rate and frequent hospitalization .
Purpose : The current study aims to evaluate the impact of cognitive behavioural therapy ( CBT ) on self-care and the symptoms of depression and anxiety in HF patients .
Methods : We searched PubMed , Web of Science ( WOS ), Scopus , and Cochrane Library till 15 October 2022 . All relevant randomized controlled trials ( RCTs ) were included . The data were extracted and pooled using Review Manager software ( RevMan 5.4 ). Continuous data were pooled as mean difference and 95 % confidence interval ( CI ).
Results : Our search retrieved 1146 records , and 7 studies ( 611 patients ) were finally included . We assessed the Beck Depression Inventory-II ( BDI-II ) as the primary outcome of the study . Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression ( HRSD-17 ), Change in Beck Anxiety Inventory , Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire ( KCCQ ), and Self-Care of Heart Failure Index ( SCHFI ) were also assessed as secondary outcomes . With CBT , BDI-II showed a significant reduction after 4 to 6 months follow-up ( MD = -4.87 , 95 % CI : [ -8.06 ; -1.69 ],
P = 0.003 ) as well as 8 to 9 months follow-up ( MD = -5.71 , 95 % CI : [ -8.95 ; -2.46 ], P = 0.0006 ). But no significant difference was shown with 3 months follow-up ( M . D = -4.34 ; 95 % CI : [ -10.70 ; 2.03 ], P = 0.18 ).
Conclusions : CBT has long-term ( 4 – 9 months ) significant favorable outcomes decreasing anxiety and depression compared to non-CBT groups . No significant short-term ( less than 3 months ) impact on HF patients ’ self-care , depression , or anxiety were shown .
Reangsing C , Trakooltorwong P , Maneekunwong K , Thepsaw J , Oerther S . Effects of online mindfulness-based interventions ( MBIs ) on anxiety symptoms in adults : a systematic review and meta-analysis . BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies . 2023 ; 23 , Article number : 269 .
Background : An increasing number of studies have documented the effectiveness on various types of faceto-face and online mindfulness-based interventions ( MBIs ) in reducing anxiety among general population , but there is a scarcity of systematic reviews evaluating evidence of online MBIs on anxiety in adults . Therefore , we examined the effects of online mindfulness-based interventions ( MBIs ) on anxiety symptoms in adults and explored the moderating effects of participant , methods , and intervention characteristics .
Methods : We systematically searched nine databases through May 2022 without date restrictions . Inclusion criteria were primary studies evaluating online mindfulness-based interventions with adults with anxiety measured as an outcome , a comparison group , and written in English . We used randomeffects model to compute effect sizes ( ESs ) using Hedges ’ g , a forest plot , and Q and I2 statistics as measures of heterogeneity ; we also examined moderator analyses .
Results : Twenty-six primary studies included 3,246 participants ( 39.9 ± 12.9 years old ). Overall , online mindfulness-
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