May 21, 2025

Depression is a multifaceted affective mental disorder with a variety of clinical manifestations, such as weight loss, diminished interest, an inability to express emotions, and disruptions in appetite and sleep patterns. It ranks as the primary contributor to the global incidence of suicide among the 20 leading causes worldwide. Conventional Western antidepressant drugs exhibit limited clinical utility due to inherent shortcomings such as severe adverse effects, high costs, and a propensity for relapse upon discontinuation, making patient adherence to treatment challenging. Volatile oil, as the principal active ingredient of aromatic Chinese medicine, possesses therapeutic properties such as soothing, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects, thereby conferring a distinct advantage in the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Volatile oils have been documented to be able to access the central regions of the brain, allowing for a more potent antidepressant effect with fewer adverse reactions and reduced toxicity.