Effect of Rosmarinus officinalis on Mental Disorder Symptoms in Incarcerated People and Prison Workers

Abstract

Introduction: common mental disorders whose symptoms are not early identified can turn into more serious illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, and mood disorder. The literature presents the use of rosemary as a form of treatment of physical and mental illnesses, including depression. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of treatments with different doses of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract on symptoms of Common Mental Disorders (CMD) in incarcerated people and prison workers. Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial study. The intervention was carried out using rosemary extract doses at 100, 500, and 1000 mg day-1 in groups composed of 10 participants, for 3 months. A 20-item self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used to assess the presence of CMD. The project was submitted and approved by the Research Ethics Committee under the number 4,973,589. Results: The treatments with rosemary extract at 500 and 1000 mg day-1 showed statistically significant results for reducing CMD symptoms when compared to the those found at the beginning of the research. Conclusion: The use of rosemary extract was effective to reduce CMD in the evaluated prison staff and incarcerated people, especially when used at doses of 500 and 1000 mg day-1, and presented safety, as the participants did not experience side effects.