The efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine on anxiety and depression in patients with chronic prostatitis complicated by sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

This study outlines a plan to review existing research on using Chinese herbal medicine to help men with chronic prostatitis who also experience sexual problems, anxiety, and depression. Chronic prostatitis is a long-term condition causing urinary issues like painful or frequent urination, along with sexual difficulties such as erectile dysfunction and low sex drive. Men with this condition are significantly more likely to develop anxiety and depression than healthy men. Chinese herbal medicine offers a comprehensive treatment approach by addressing inflammation, blood flow in the pelvic area, and mental health pathways all at once, which matches the complex nature of this condition. Researchers will search eight major medical databases—four Chinese and four international—to find randomized controlled trials testing Chinese herbal medicine for this specific group of patients. They will carefully evaluate the quality of these studies using standardized tools and analyze whether Chinese herbal medicine effectively reduces anxiety and depression symptoms in men dealing with both chronic prostatitis and sexual dysfunction. This review has not yet been completed, so no results are available yet. Once finished, the findings will help doctors and patients make better-informed decisions about whether Chinese herbal medicine might be a useful treatment option for managing the mental health challenges that often accompany chronic prostatitis and sexual problems. If you're interested in exploring Chinese herbal medicine, seek a qualified herbalist or licensed acupuncturist trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol aims to evaluate Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) efficacy for anxiety and depression in chronic prostatitis (CP) patients with comorbid sexual dysfunction. The study recognizes that CP patients face significantly elevated risk for anxiety and depression compared to controls, and that CHM's multifactorial approach—targeting inflammation, pelvic microcirculation, and neuropsychiatric pathways—aligns with CP's complex etiology. Researchers will systematically search eight databases (CNKI, Wanfang, CBM, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) for randomized controlled trials examining CHM interventions in this patient population. Selected studies will undergo rigorous screening and quality assessment using standardized instruments. No sample size, effect size, or outcomes are reported as this is a protocol paper only. Clinical relevance: Once completed, this review will provide evidence-based guidance for integrating CHM into treatment protocols for CP patients presenting with sexual dysfunction and neuropsychiatric comorbidities, potentially informing multimodal intervention strategies.