Is Lavender Useful for Depression in Children?
Depression does occur in young children, and the risk for depression increases during childhood. 1
A 2007 survey of more than 78,000 parents in the United States found 0.5% prevalence of depression in children ages 3 to 5 years, 1.4% prevalence of depression in children ages 6 to 11 years, and 3.5% prevalence in children ages 12 to 17 years. 2
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that at least 3.3% of children 13 to 18 years old have had episodes of severe depression. The American Academy of Adolescent Psychiatry estimates this number to be 5%. Two separate surveys in the United States have found that the prevalence of depression in adolescents (ages 12 to 17 years) is as high as 8-11%. 3, 4
Depression is a serious problem among our youth.
Depression is also known as clinical depression or major depressive disorder. Those suffering from depression experience persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness with a loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed (also known as anhedonia). Depression can also cause or be associated with many physical symptoms, such as digestive problems or chronic pain.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is currently the first-line, standard treatment for children with mild to moderate depression. For children younger than age 10 years, play therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy (a form of therapy in which the focus is to reveal the unconscious content of the mind in an effort to relieve psychic tension), and behavior therapy is also used. For moderate to severe depression, current evidence-based guidelines recommend a combination of CBT and antidepressant medications (typically an SSRI).
The problem is, Prozac (fluoxetine, safe for ages 8 and older) and Lexapro (escitalopram, safe for ages 12 and older) are currently the only FDA-approved antidepressants for treatment of depression in children and teens. 5
Additionally, only about 60% of children and adolescents with major depression respond to initial treatment, 6 and minimal studies regarding long-term treatment outcomes in children exist at this time.
Can essential oils help? Possibly.
Based on my research and review of medical literature, it appears there are far more studies on essential oils in the treatment of anxiety disorders than depressive disorders. Additionally, a recent 2017 review article on complementary and alternative methods of treatment for depression found no evidence for essential oils to treat this condition. 7
Despite the lack of sound scientific evidence, however, more people are turning to alternative methods for mood management for various reasons, including medication side effects, the somewhat limited efficacy of prescription medications, the perception that natural treatments are better than chemical ones, overall wellness as a higher goal than simply a decrease in symptoms, and more. 8
There is some evidence to suggest that medicinal herbs and their phytochemicals (plant chemical components) have the potential to provide therapeutic benefits. Many phytochemicals have repeatedly demonstrated neuroprotective effects on a molecular and animal model level, which suggests that they can improve the symptoms of depression. 9,10
For example, carvacrol, a major component of oregano and thyme, when orally administered to mice, induces antidepressant effects mediated by well-known brain pathways that affect mood. 11
Lavender has shown the most promise in molecular, animal, and human clinical trials. The antidepressant-like effects of lavender may be due to how its molecules act within the brain. 12,13
Long-term lavender oil exposure in rats resulted in markedly reduced depression-like behaviors. 14,15 And in several human clinical trials, lavender oil has been shown to have minimal side effects (mild gastrointestinal symptoms) when used as an oral treatment for mood. 16
Lavender cream, when used for depression in pregnancy, was shown to effectively reduce depression symptoms,17 and lavender oil aromatherapy has been shown to improve symptoms of depression in high-risk postpartum women. 18,19
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There are also several other reports demonstrating the positive effect of lavender in decreasing depressive symptoms. One study showed lavender tea had several curative benefits on depression patients (already on citalopram therapy) as evidenced by overall decreased mean depression scores. 20
Another study reported that aromatherapy with lavender oils showed a beneficial effect on depression in female college students. 21
Yet another small clinical study demonstrated that lavender tincture, when used with imipramine, was an effective helper in combination with therapy, leading to superior and faster improvement in depressive symptoms. 22
Finally, a recent study on the effects of aromatherapy massage (using lavender and other essential oils) on older patients with anxiety and depression and acute coronary syndrome demonstrated significant differences in the levels of anxiety and depression reported between control and aromatherapy groups. 23
In summary, lavender shows great promise in the treatment of depression, but more research and information is needed, especially for the pediatric population. In combination with cognitive behavioral therapy, it is quite possible that lavender could have a nice effect. Additionally, it appears based on a few of the studies above that lavender can enhance the effects of prescription medication for depression. If you would like to try lavender as a helper treatment, I recommend that you review this with your child’s physician to ensure minimal to no drug interactions are reported or exist (and again, topical and diffusion only) and that your child’s symptoms are well managed or controlled.
Next week, I will discuss ____!
In general, medical doctors don’t know much about essential oils with regards to the actual existing research and evidence, and, in my honest experience, neither do most essential oils sales users! I’m going to be providing some well researched insights and hope you will join me on this journey to learn more about when, how, and IF to use essential oils!
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References
1 Wesselhoeft R, Sørensen MJ, Heiervang ER, Bilenberg N. Subthreshold depression in children and adolescents - a systematic review. J Affect Disord. 2013 Oct;151(1):7-22. [PubMed]
2 Perou R, Bitsko RH, and Blumberg SJ et al. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mental health surveillance among children--United States, 2005-2011. MMWR Suppl. 2013 May 17;62(2):1-35. [PubMed]
3 Perou R, Bitsko RH, and Blumberg SJ et al. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mental health surveillance among children--United States, 2005-2011. MMWR Suppl. 2013 May 17;62(2):1-35. [PubMed]
4 Avenevoli S, Swendsen J, He JP, Burstein M, Merikangas KR. Major depression in the national comorbidity survey-adolescent supplement: prevalence, correlates, and treatment. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2015;54(1):37–44.e2. [NCBI]
5 Mayo Clinic Staff. Antidepressants for Children and Teens. Jun 25, 2019. [Article Link]
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9 Lee G, Bae H. Therapeutic Effects of Phytochemicals and Medicinal Herbs on Depression. Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:6596241. [NCBI]
10 Yeung KS, Hernandez M, Mao JJ, Haviland I, Gubili J. Herbal medicine for depression and anxiety: A systematic review with assessment of potential psycho-oncologic relevance. Phytother Res. 2018;32(5):865–891. [NCBI]
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14 Hritcu L, Cioanca O, Hancianu M. Effects of lavender oil inhalation on improving scopolamine-induced spatial memory impairment in laboratory rats. Phytomedicine. 2012;19(6):529–534. [PubMed]
15 Conrad P, Adams C. The effects of clinical aromatherapy for anxiety and depression in the high risk postpartum woman - a pilot study. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2012 Aug;18(3):164-8. [PubMed]
16 Kasper S, Gastpar M, Müller WE, et al. Efficacy and safety of silexan, a new, orally administered lavender oil preparation, in subthreshold anxiety disorder—evidence from clinical trials. Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift. 2010;160(21-22):547–556. [PubMed]
17 Effati-Daryani F, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Mirghafourvand M, Taghizadeh M, Mohammadi A. Effect of lavender cream with or without foot-bath on anxiety, stress and depression in pregnancy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Caring Sciences. 2015;4(1):63–73. [Article Link]
18 Conrad P, Adams C. The effects of clinical aromatherapy for anxiety and depression in the high risk postpartum woman—a pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2012;18(3):164–168. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
19 Kianpour M, Mansouri A, Mehrabi T, Asghari G. Effect of lavender scent inhalation on prevention of stress, anxiety and depression in the postpartum period. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2016;21(2):197–201. [NCBI]
20 Nikfarjam M, Parvin N, Assarzadegan N, Asghari S. The effects of lavandula angustifolia mill infusion on depression in patients using citalopram: a comparison study. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal. 2013;15(8):734–739. [Article Link]
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23 Bahrami T, Rejeh N, Heravi-Karimooi M, Vaismoradi M, Tadrisi SD, Sieloff C. Effect of aromatherapy massage on anxiety, depression, and physiologic parameters in older patients with the acute coronary syndrome: A randomized clinical trial. Int J Nurs Pract. 2017 Dec;23(6). [PubMed]