Abstract
Introduction: Depression and its associated symptoms, including sleep disturbances and fatigue, are highly prevalent and substantially impair the quality of life. Lavandula angustifolia Mill. has emerged as a promising complementary therapy. However, a comprehensive synthesis of its efficacy on specific DSM-5–defined depressive symptoms remains unavailable. Accordingly, this scoping review was performed to chart randomized, placebo-controlled trial evidence on L. angustifolia interventions for DSM-5 depressive symptoms and to guide future research priorities and clinical practices.
Methods: To this end, PubMed was searched from inception to May 28, 2025, for randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials evaluating any L. angustifolia Mill. formulation for DSM-5–defined depressive symptoms. Data were synthesized narratively.
Results: Thirteen randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Trials consistently reported that L. angustifolia Mill. improved sleep quality across diverse populations, including postmenopausal women and older adults, and significantly reduced fatigue in patients with high disease burden. Similarly, several studies demonstrated sharp reductions in overall depressive symptom scores, particularly in cases of mild depression and when used adjunctively. Finally, adverse events were infrequent and mild, indicating favorable tolerability.
Conclusion: It was revealed that L. angustifolia Mill. demonstrates potential as a complementary intervention for selected depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and fatigue. Nonetheless, heterogeneity in study designs, outcome measures, and product formulations underscores the need for further high-quality, standardized trials to inform evidence-based clinical guidelines.