Herbal hope: can ancient chinese medicine boost antidepressants?

This study tested whether adding a traditional Chinese herbal formula (XingpiJieyu) to a standard antidepressant helps people with severe major depression. 100 patients with depression and a specific TCM pattern received either the herbal formula or a placebo alongside escitalopram for 8 weeks, while 50 healthy volunteers served as a comparison group. Researchers measured mood changes and blood markers related to energy metabolism to see if the combination works better than the antidepressant alone.