TITLE:
Development of Anti-Depressive Foods Using Traditional Chinese Medicine Dietary Principles
AUTHORS:
Yongxi Huang, Kaiqing Tian, Xinyi Hu, Xiaoyang Gan, Zhihao Shanbian, Mu Yang, Yongshi Li, Garnet Mou, Mengjin Liu, Haowen Hu
KEYWORDS:
Depressive Mood, Preventive Treatment, Dietotherapy, Adolescents
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.12 No.4,
April
17,
2024
ABSTRACT: Depression affects approximately 280 million people around the world. In China, the number of depression patients exceeds 95 million, with 50% being students. Mental health issues are becoming increasingly prominent, especially among younger age groups. Existing psychological care and intervention methods mostly occur after the diagnosis of depression, leaving adolescents lacking effective ways to prevent depressive moods. This study originates from the concept in traditional Chinese medicine that “prevention is better than cure.” It targets adolescents with depressive moods but without clinical depression, aiming to create healthy foods that alleviate depressive moods by incorporating traditional Chinese medicine heritage and pharmaceutical research, both proven to have significant effects on mood improvement. These foods, derived from ingredients with medicinal properties, are combined with collective activities designed for self-care against depressive moods, based on reports from the World Health Organization and psychology. The effectiveness of the intervention is evaluated using the PHQ-9 depression scale, employing diverse methods to mitigate adolescent depressive moods. The research employs literature review, questionnaire surveys, and interviews for analysis. Feedback from participants and pre- and post-comparisons using the PHQ-9 scale confirm the efficacy of the intervention in preventing the onset of depression. This approach not only alleviates depressive moods among adolescents but also provides a new perspective and method for preventing depression, carrying positive social value and practical significance.