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Acupuncture for depression.

C A Smith1, P P J Hay

  • 1School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, City East Campus, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 5001. caroline.smith@unisa.edu.au

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|April 23, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Evidence is insufficient to determine if acupuncture effectively treats depression. More rigorous studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm its efficacy compared to medication or sham treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Integrative Medicine
  • Psychiatry
  • Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

  • Growing interest exists in complementary therapies for depression.
  • Acupuncture is a frequently explored self-help and complementary therapy for mood disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of acupuncture in managing depression.
  • To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for depression.

Main Methods:

  • Searched multiple databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, DARE, CISCOM, CINAHL) for RCTs up to September 2003.
  • Included RCTs comparing acupuncture (electro or laser) against sham acupuncture, no treatment, medication, psychotherapy, or standard care for adult depression.
  • Performed meta-analysis using relative risk and weighted mean differences for dichotomous and continuous outcomes, respectively.

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Main Results:

  • Seven RCTs with 517 participants met inclusion criteria; most had mild to moderate depression.
  • No significant difference was found between acupuncture and medication in reducing depression severity or achieving remission.
  • Limited trials compared acupuncture to wait-list or sham controls, yielding inconclusive results.

Conclusions:

  • Insufficient evidence currently supports acupuncture's efficacy for depression management.
  • The quality of scientific study design and sample sizes in existing trials were inadequate.
  • Further high-quality research is necessary to establish acupuncture's role in treating depression.