Anxiety

Evidence-graded topics and articles tagged Anxiety.

Topics

• Aromatherapy — Inhaling essential oils may modestly improve sleep, anxiety and low mood, and sleep is the most consistent finding.
• Ashwagandha — Ashwagandha root extracts lower anxiety and stress scores and cortisol levels in meta-analyses of randomized trials, and small trials suggest better sleep.
• CBD — Small trials suggest CBD can take the edge off anxiety, but a 54-trial review found no clear benefit.
• Chamomile — Chamomile extract reduced generalised anxiety more than placebo in small trials, and sleep quality improved modestly in meta-analyses.
• Exercise and mental health — Exercise eases depression symptoms in randomised trials, and active people are less likely to develop depression.
• Lavender — Oral lavender oil capsules (Silexan) reduced anxiety more than placebo in several trials, and sleep improved along with anxiety.
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation — Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) improves sleep quality and eases anxiety in pooled randomised trials, with a moderate level of evidence.
• Psilocybin — In supervised trials, psilocybin-assisted therapy reduces depression symptoms quickly, with effects often lasting weeks to months.
• Saffron — Saffron may modestly ease self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms, according to a 2026 meta-analysis of 34 trials.
• St John's Wort — St John's wort extracts ease mild to moderate depression: in pooled trials they worked better than placebo and about as well as standard antidepressants, with…
• Valerian — Valerian may make some people feel their sleep is better, and several trials report this, but the evidence is small and mixed.