Comparing the effect of Vitex Agnus Castus and Evening Primrose oil on depression

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders، which is twice as common in women. Since hormonal imbalance is one of the main causes in women، the current study aimed at investigating effects of two herbal remedies، Primrose oil and Vitex Agnus Castus، on depressed women. The clinical trial study was done on 150 women. They were assigned to two groups of 75. I n the first group vitex agnus castus and in the second group capsules of Evening primrose oil were given for 3 months. B efore the study and one، two، and three months later، depression levels were assessed by Beck depression inventory (BDI). The data were collected and analyzed by independent t test and repeated measures، using SPSS software. The mean ages of the two groups were 27. 9 and 28. 8 years، with no statistically significant difference. There was a significant difference in depression levels before intervention and during the first، second and third post-treatment assessments. The lower rates of depression were observed in both groups and there was no statistical difference between them. Results showed that both herbs reduced depression in the same extent. However، because of its lower price، Vitex would be more advantageous to use for women with depression. Due to limited similar studies، more research in this area is recommended.