Mindfulness meditation reduces depressive symptoms in people with depression, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trials conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis found a significant effect favoring mindfulness meditation over comparison groups, with a standardized mean difference of -1.14. The findings suggest that mindfulness meditation is an effective evidence-based practice for lowering depressive symptoms during times of increased stress, such as a pandemic.
Dextromethorphan (DXM), a common ingredient in cough medicine, is abused by adolescents and can cause euphoria, dissociation, hallucinations, and depressive symptoms with chronic use. Lycium barbarum (wolfberry), a traditional Chinese medicine for neurodegenerative diseases, may reduce depression-like behavior. In a rat study, DXM-treated animals showed increased depression-like and social anxiety-like behaviors after two weeks. Co-treatment with Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) reduced these adverse effects. Histological analysis revealed that LBP did not promote hippocampal neurogenesis alone but lessened the suppression of neurogenesis caused by DXM. These findings suggest wolfberry could be an adjunct treatment for mood disturbances during cough syrup abuse rehabilitation.