Efficacy of a Nutritional Cream Intervention to Treat Depression in Rescuers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To explore the effectiveness of a nutritional intervention in rescuers who screened positive for depression.

A randomized controlled trial design was employed. From June to August, 2022, 4,460 rescuers were screened using the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and 1,615 positive cases were identified. Thirty-one volunteers were recruited and randomly divided into a nutritional intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received health education and nutritional intervention (a compound paste therapy primarily composed of red roses and Seville orange flowers), while the control group received psychological education. SDS scores were assessed before and after the intervention.

There was a statistically significant decline in SDS scores in the nutritional intervention group after the intervention ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the SDS scores of the intervention group were significantly lower than those of the control group, both before and after the intervention ( P < 0.05). No severe adverse reactions were observed during safety evaluation.

The nutritional intervention effectively reduced the depression scores in rescuers. Early nutritional intervention is recommended for rescuers who initially screen positive for depression.