Effectiveness of Ginseng on the Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Patients Referred to Addiction Treatment Clinics in Ahvaz: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Anxiety and depression are significant factors that can increase the likelihood of concurrent substance use in patients undergoing treatment. Objectives: This study aims to address the gap in knowledge regarding the treatment of anxiety and depression resulting from substance withdrawal by evaluating the effectiveness of ginseng on depression and anxiety symptoms in patients at addiction treatment clinics in Ahvaz. Methods: This research is categorized as applied research and falls under experimental designs for data collection. It was a randomized clinical trial with a pre-test and post-test design involving two groups. The statistical population included all patients visiting addiction treatment clinics in Ahvaz during 2023 - 2024. A total of 68 participants meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly assigned to two groups: One receiving ginseng and the other a placebo (34 participants each). One group received 100 mg capsules of ginseng, while the other received a placebo for four weeks. All participants were assessed at the beginning of the study and after the intervention using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance, utilizing SPSS-26 software. Results: The study involved 68 individuals aged 28 to 59 years, with a mean age of 43.22 ± 8.89. The mean ± standard deviation of depression and anxiety in the pre-test of the intervention group was 29.85 ± 6.19 and 25.00 ± 6.06, respectively, and in the placebo group was 27.79 ± 7.21 and 23.91 ± 4.82, respectively. The mean ± standard deviation of depression and anxiety in the post-test of the intervention group was 15.44 ± 11.37 and 12.26 ± 10.40, respectively, and in the placebo group was 11.91 ± 10.83 and 13.32 ± 10.10, respectively. The results indicate no significant difference between post-test and pre-test scores in the intervention group compared to the placebo group (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The results indicate that there was no significant difference in post-test means compared to pre-test means in the intervention group relative to the placebo group. However, further randomized trials with larger sample sizes are necessary for confirmation. Findings should be interpreted with caution.