Effect of Lianhua Qingwen on Depression and Anxiety in COVID-19 Patients with Asymptomatic or Mild Symptoms

Abstract

Background and objectives Patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) face not only physical strains but also significant psychological stress, highlighting the importance of addressing their mental health concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Lianhua Qingwen on the psychological well-being of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients, providing empirical evidence to guide clinical practices.

Methods Conducted in eight shelter hospitals in Shanghai, the study employed a cluster randomization method to allocate patients equally into either the Lianhua Qingwen group or the control group. The Lianhua Qingwen group received oral doses of four capsules or one packet of granules three times daily for 14 days. In contrast, the control group received standardized treatment according to the diagnostic and treatment plan, excluding Lianhua Qingwen. Mental health was assessed using the Self-rating Depression Scale and Self-rating Anxiety Scale, with symptom reporting on the 7th and 14th days, accompanied by nucleic acid test result screenshots. A follow-up investigation on new disease occurrence was conducted six months post-discharge.

Results Among the 2,652 valid questionnaire respondents, the Lianhua Qingwen group accounted for 1,665 cases, characterized by a higher proportion of females (32.7% vs. 26.9%), younger age (44.8 vs. 46.2 years), lower percentages of asymptomatic infections (27.6% vs. 38.5%), higher baseline Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores (2.7 vs. 1.9), and higher Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 scores (1.9 vs. 1.4). Further multivariate logistic regression analysis explored factors influencing the alleviation of depressive and anxiety symptoms during follow-up, revealing that Lianhua Qingwen use was an independent factor in reducing anxiety (odds ratio = 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.14-1.65, p = 0.001) and depression (odds ratio = 1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.19-1.69, p < 0.0001). Lianhua Qingwen increased the likelihood of reducing anxiety by 37% and depression by 42%.

Conclusions Lianhua Qingwen significantly alleviated anxiety and depression symptoms in COVID-19 patients, suggesting its potential therapeutic efficacy in mitigating these conditions.

Keywords

Lianhua Qingwen / Corona virus disease 2019 / COVID-19 / Anxiety / De-pression / Mental health / Traditional Chinese medicine

Acknowledgments

None.

Funding

This work was supported by Combine Traditional Chinese And Western Medicine Flagship Hospital Construction, ZY(2021-2023)-0205-01.

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author contributions

Conceptualization (MR, JJZ, WZ), methodology (MR, JJZ, WZ, CSS, RSW, JYT), investigation (MR, JJZ, WZ, CSS, RSW, JYT), Formal Analysis (MR, JJZ, WZ), writing - original draft (MR, JJZ, WZ), writing - review & editing (CSS, RSW, JYT, WRZ, HLG), visualization (MR, JJZ, WZ), project administration (WRZ, HLG), and study supervision (CSS, RSW, JYT). All authors have made a significant contribution to this study and have approved the final manuscript.

Ethical statement

This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Ruijin Hospital, which is affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (Approval number: 2022-65). All participants provided written informed consent prior to recruitment. The study adhered strictly to the ethical standards set forth in the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013). The trial registration number in the Chinese clinical trial registry is ChiCTR2200058639 (www. chictr.org.cn).

Data sharing statement

The fundamental details regarding the test subjects, along with the comprehensive scale scores utilized to uphold the discoveries of this research, can be accessed from the respective author at [e-mail] upon making a formal inquiry.

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