Clinical efficacy and safety of Guipi decoction combined with escitalopram oxalate tablets in patients with depression

BACKGROUND: Depression is a widespread mental health condition that requires effective treatment. In the treatment of depression, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers obvious advantages, fewer adverse reactions, and a lower recurrence rate. AIM: To evaluate the clinical benefits of Guipi decoction combined with escitalopram oxalate tablets for individuals with depression. METHODS: In total, 80 patients diagnosed as having depression were enrolled in the study and divided into either an experimental group or a control group. All of the patients were orally administered escitalopram oxalate tablets. Additionally, the experimental group received Jiajian Guipi decoction and reduced Governor vessel fumigation over 4 wk. TCM syndrome scores, Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D) scores, self-rating depression scale (SDS) scores, and Pittsburgh sleep quality index scores were measured for the two groups and compared before and after the treatment. The two groups were monitored for any adverse reactions. RESULTS: After 4 wk of treatment, both groups exhibited a significant reduction in TCM syndrome scores compared with their pre-treatment scores (P < 0.05). However, the experimental group exhibited significantly lower TCM syndrome scores than the control group (P < 0.05). Similarly, the post-treatment SDS and HAM-D-24 scores were significantly lower in both groups than the pre-treatment scores (P < 0.05), with the experimental group exhibiting lower scores than the control group (P < 0.05). The total treatment efficiency was significantly better in the experimental group (97.14%) than in the control group (77.78%) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, after 4 wk of treatment, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index scores for both groups were significantly lower than those before the treatment (P < 0.05), with the experimental group exhibiting lower scores than the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of Guipi decoction and escitalopram oxalate tablets was found to be an effective and safe treatment for depression. This combination could reduce TCM syndrome scores, improve depressive symptoms, and enhance sleep quality.