Mood

Shown to raise response in depression against placebo, with about 2.7 times the odds, and had the highest odds of response of 21 antidepressants, with higher dropout rates.

Compared with placebo [1][2]; other antidepressants in head-to-head trials [2]

Shown to about double the odds of remission when added to an antidepressant in depression that had not responded, with about 1 extra remission per 9 treated.

Shown to raise response in adult depression, 62% against 51% on placebo in seven pooled trials, level with SSRIs.

Shown to lower depression scores within 24 hours more than placebo, with racemic ketamine's effect lasting into follow-up in a meta-analysis of 49 trials. Used off-label.

Compared with saline placebo or midazolam [1]; placebo or active control in pooled trials [2][3]

Shown to reduce suicidal thoughts within a day of a single ketamine infusion, an effect lasting up to 3 days. The esketamine label states no reduction in suicide was shown.

Compared with saline or midazolam [7]; control infusions [8]; placebo spray added to standard care [4]

Shown to lower relapse in bipolar disorder against placebo, by about 16% to 22% in pooled trials, while preventing mania less well than lithium.

Compared with placebo [1][2][3][4]; lithium [1][2]

Shown to improve bipolar depression modestly against placebo, with response about 1.27 times as likely, and in one pooled analysis only in more severe depression.

Compared with placebo [5][2][3][6]; lithium, olanzapine with fluoxetine, citalopram and inositol [6]

Shown to reduce depression more than placebo in adults, with a higher response rate than SSRIs at two weeks and at the end of acute treatment.

Shown to raise response in adult depression more than placebo. Head-to-head trials placed venlafaxine among the higher response rates and duloxetine level with other antidepressants.

Shown to reduce depression symptoms more than placebo in adults, by about 2 points on the Hamilton scale, with about 7 treated for one extra response.

Shown to lower new episodes of seasonal depression in adults with a history of it, with 84% staying depression-free against 72% on placebo.

Shown to lower depression scores in treatment-resistant depression by about 4 to 7 points more than placebo on a 60-point scale after 4 weeks.

Compared with placebo nasal spray, with or without a new oral antidepressant [4]; placebo in pooled trials [1][2]

Shown to delay relapse in people who had improved on esketamine, about half the hazard of relapse after a switch to placebo spray.

Compared with switching to placebo nasal spray, with the oral antidepressant continued [4]

Shown to improve depression scores and remission modestly when added to standard treatment, in unipolar and bipolar depression, an off-label use.

Compared with placebo added to standard treatment [15][16]

Shown to improve PTSD symptoms in adults, with 58% responding on an SSRI against 35% on placebo.

Shown to lower relapse in people who had improved: about 22 fewer relapses per 100 on a continued SSRI than after a switch to placebo.

Shown to reduce premenstrual symptoms in women with PMS or PMDD by a moderate amount, more with daily dosing than with dosing in the luteal phase only.

Shown to reduce depression symptoms more than placebo in adults. Response matched SSRIs in one meta-analysis and ranked among the lower rates in another.

One trial found 27% in remission at 8 weeks on esketamine against 18% on quetiapine, each added to an SSRI or SNRI, in treatment-resistant depression.

Compared with extended-release quetiapine, each added to an SSRI or SNRI [5]

One trial found ketamine infusions no worse than electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant depression without psychosis, with 55% responding against 41%.

Compared with electroconvulsive therapy [6]

One trial found lower depression and anxiety scores in bipolar disorder when added to lamotrigine, against a low comparison dose.

Shown to lower depressive symptoms slightly in perimenopausal women with depressive symptoms, with no benefit in women not selected for them.

Shown to match standard antidepressants for response in adults with mild to moderate or major depression, with fewer dropouts than on SSRIs, over 4 to 12 weeks.

Shown to improve depression scores over placebo in two small trials of adults with depression, though the review authors judged the evidence too weak to be conclusive.

Shown to lower depression scores in people with mental disorders, mostly anxiety disorders, though a second statistical model did not confirm the effect.

Shown to improve stress slightly in healthy and at-risk adults over 4 weeks or more, with no change in depression or anxiety. Bayer funded the review.

Shown to lower depression symptoms modestly in people with symptoms, with EPA-rich formulas only. Not shown to prevent depression.

Shown to improve anxiety, memory and intelligence scores modestly in iron-deficient children and menstruating adults, with no effect in those without deficiency.

Shown to lower depression scores slightly when added to treatment, mainly in bipolar disorder.

Shown to lower depression and anxiety in adults with diagnosed disorders, with effect sizes varying widely. Anxiety did not change in children.

Shown to lower PMS anxiety, depression, mood and behavioral symptoms modestly against placebo. One small trial found physical and behavioral gains but no mood change.

Shown to lower depression scores against placebo in people with depression or depressive symptoms, with effect sizes varying widely across reviews.

Shown to improve overall premenstrual symptoms and premenstrual depression over placebo in women with PMS, in mostly low-quality trials from a 1999 review.

Shown to lower depressive symptom scores in adults with depression, in small trials with high heterogeneity.

Shown to make remission of premenstrual symptoms about 2.6 times as likely as placebo in women, in trials of well-described extracts.

Compared with placebo [2][3][1]; placebo, dietary supplements or other herbal preparations [3]; placebo or an active comparator [4]

Limited evidence: lowered depression scores about 2 points, below the 3 points counted as a meaningful change.

Small trials found L-methylfolate added to antidepressants raised response and lowered symptoms in adults with major depression.

Linked to small drops in momentary anxiety and, less consistently, sadness in the hours after use among regular users tracked by phone. No randomized trial was located.

One trial found depression scores fell from baseline in 30 women over 4 weeks, but most comparisons were not against placebo.

One trial found better mood, energy and quality of life than placebo over 12 weeks in Peruvian adults at low and high altitude.

One small trial found better VO2 max, grip strength and mood scores than placebo in sedentary female students over 30 days.

One small 4-week trial found lower tension, anger and saliva cortisol, and higher saliva testosterone, in moderately stressed adults.

One trial found lower depression scores over 1 month only in adults with mild or worse symptoms at baseline. Anxiety and stress did not change.

Shown to lower depression moderately to largely against waiting list and usual care, with effects still present 6 to 12 months later.

Compared with care as usual and waiting list [3]; control groups [4]

Shown to lower depression and anxiety disorder symptoms against control conditions, with guided programs ahead of unguided ones right after treatment.

Compared with control treatments [13]; care as usual, waiting list, information control, psychological placebo or pill placebo [14]; face-to-face CBT [14]

Shown to lower anxiety around heart procedures and in other adults in pooled trials, mostly against usual care or no intervention, with large and varied effects.

Compared with control groups the source abstracts do not describe [8][9]; nonactive controls: sham intervention, usual care, waiting list or psychoeducation [10]

Shown to lower depressive symptoms against control groups in a meta-analysis of 17 trials, with a moderate pooled effect.

Compared with control groups the source abstract does not describe [15]

Limited evidence: low-quality trials found a small drop in depression scores, 1.69 points on the Hamilton scale, against sham acupuncture, and a moderate drop against no treatment.

Compared with no treatment, waiting list or treatment as usual [16]; sham acupuncture [16]; antidepressant medication [16]

Shown to lower anxiety, depression and distress in adults without a diagnosis, by about half a standard deviation, against no program or a waiting list.

Compared with no intervention [1]; control groups the source abstract does not describe [2]

Shown to ease disorder-specific symptoms more than no treatment and other active controls in pooled trials, and no differently from established treatments such as CBT or medication.

Compared with no treatment, minimal treatment, nonspecific and specific active controls, and evidence-based treatments [5]; waiting list, other active treatments, CBT and medication [6]

Shown to ease depression symptoms modestly against active control programs, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy cut the risk of relapse within 60 weeks by about 31%.

Compared with active control programs [3]; no intervention and nonspecific active controls [1]; usual care and other active treatments including antidepressants [7]

Shown to lower self-rated anxiety and depression symptoms in two meta-analyses, by small amounts for breathwork in general and larger amounts for heart rate variability biofeedback.

Compared with non-breathwork controls, active and inactive [2]; control conditions the source abstract does not describe [5]; inactive and active controls [3]

Shown to ease depression symptoms by a small to moderate amount, against waiting list, usual care and attention controls, and against active exercise comparisons in older adults.

Compared with waiting list, treatment as usual and attention control [6]; inactive controls such as a waiting list or education booklets [7]; active controls such as walking or chair aerobics [7]

Shown to lower self-rated stress slightly more than active control conditions. In one trial, 5 minutes a day of cyclic sighing lifted mood more than mindfulness meditation.

Compared with active non-breathwork controls [2]; mindfulness meditation for the same time [4]

Shown to lower stress, anxiety and depression in pooled trials of tai chi and of qigong, against waiting list and varied controls, in trials with methodological limits.

Compared with varied control groups, including some nonrandomized studies [12]; waiting list [13]; lectures and structured movement alone [13]

Shown to lower depression scores when added to usual treatment in people with mental health problems, in a meta-analysis of small studies with high heterogeneity.

Shown to reduce depressive symptoms with gardening and horticultural activities in two meta-analyses of trials, a moderate effect. A third found no significant mental health change in chronic illness.

Compared with comparison groups with no horticultural element [1]; control groups in randomized trials the abstract does not describe [2]; control groups in randomized and quasi-experimental studies [3]

Shown to raise wellbeing and other health measures with gardening in two meta-analyses, moderate effects, across trials and comparisons of gardeners with non-gardeners.

Compared with the same people before they began gardening, or non-gardeners [4]; comparison groups in the interventional and observational reviews it pooled [5]

Shown to lower depression and anxiety symptoms by a medium amount in trials across many groups, including people with major depression, in reviews rated low in quality.

Compared with usual care [13]; active controls such as usual care or a placebo tablet [14]

Shown to lengthen teenagers' sleep by about 25 to 77 minutes a night when school started later, in three reviews. Depressive symptoms fell slightly in pooled studies.

Compared with earlier school start times, as each study compared them [2]; the same students before the delay, and control schools in trials [3]; earlier school start times [4]

Shown to reduce loneliness modestly in pooled randomized trials. Programs addressing how people think about social situations had the largest effects, and added chances to socialize did not.

Compared with control groups in randomized comparison studies [11]; control groups [12]; control groups in randomized trials, some without active controls [13]

Shown to lower depressive symptoms by a moderate amount and anxiety by a small amount in pooled trials, with smaller effects in trials with blinded assessment.

Compared with nonactive control conditions [17][18]; active controls such as usual care or a placebo tablet [19]

Shown to ease negative mood, anxiety and depressive feelings and raise positive mood after time in nature, in several meta-analyses rating study quality mostly low.

Compared with control conditions, mostly passive [7]; control groups [8]; built environments [9]; before the forest bathing, in the same people [6]; a 90-minute walk in an urban setting [10]

Linked to fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms in people with a stronger sense of purpose in life, in two meta-analyses, moderate correlations.

Compared with people with a lower sense of purpose in life [13][14]

Linked to 22% fewer people with depressive symptoms at 7,000 steps a day than at 2,000, in one meta-analysis of three cohorts.

Compared with 2,000 steps a day [4]

Linked to 18% less depression at half the guideline amount and 25% less at the guideline amount, in one meta-analysis of cohorts, with smaller gains beyond.

Compared with adults reporting no activity [15]

Linked to more new depression at both short and long sleep in one meta-analysis of seven cohorts.

Compared with people with normal sleep duration [9]

Shown to lower positive mood and raise negative mood when sleep was cut or skipped, in one meta-analysis of 64 experimental studies.

Compared with control conditions the source does not describe [10]

Linked to small improvements in depression, anxiety and stress after quitting, in a Cochrane review of mostly cohort data rated very low to moderate in certainty.

Compared with people who continued to smoke [19]

Linked to more depression with loneliness, a moderate effect in one meta-analysis of 88 studies and a positive link in all ten longitudinal studies of older adults in a review.

Compared with people with lower loneliness scores [8]; less lonely older adults [9]

Linked to more physical activity and restoration with more blue space nearby or more contact with it, in one meta-analysis. Living closer was not linked to restoration.

Compared with people living farther from, with less, or with less contact with blue space [13]; comparisons the source does not describe [14]

One trial found fewer behavioral and emotional difficulties in children after two weeks of strict family screen limits.

Compared with a control group of families [5]

One trial moved night owls' sleep and wake times about 2 hours earlier and found less depression and stress and better morning reaction time and grip strength.

Compared with a control group the abstract does not describe [1]

One large cohort linked each extra daily hour outdoors in daylight to lower odds of depression and low mood, mostly in cross-sectional analyses.

Compared with each hour less of daylight outdoors a day [10]

One national survey linked at least 120 minutes a week in nature to higher odds of good health and wellbeing, with no further gain beyond 200 to 300 minutes.

Compared with people with no nature contact in the past week [11]

Linked to 17% to 22% lower risk of depression at the highest fish intake than the lowest, in pooled observational studies.

Compared with the lowest fish consumption [16][17]

Linked to 24% lower risk of depression at the highest coffee intake than the lowest, and 8% lower per daily cup, in observational studies.

Compared with the lowest consumption level [11]

Shown to ease depressive and anxiety symptoms in the short term, in one meta-analysis of 9 small studies of cocoa-rich products.

Compared with control conditions the abstract does not describe [7]