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Acupuncture for depression: a randomized controlled trial.

John J B Allen1, Rosa N Schnyer, Andrea S Chambers

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721-0068, USA. jallen@u.arizona.edu

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|January 2, 2007
PubMed
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Acupuncture showed some improvement for major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to no treatment, but specific TCM acupuncture was not more effective than nonspecific acupuncture. Further research is needed for MDD treatment efficacy.

Area of Science:

  • Integrative and Complementary Medicine
  • Psychiatry and Mental Health

Background:

  • Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental health condition.
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture is explored as a potential therapeutic option.
  • ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00010517.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating major depressive disorder (MDD).
  • To compare TCM-style acupuncture with a nonspecific acupuncture control and a waitlist control.

Main Methods:

  • A double-blind randomized controlled trial involving 151 MDD patients.
  • Interventions included TCM-style acupuncture, nonspecific acupuncture, and a waitlist control over 8 weeks.
  • The 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) was the primary outcome measure.

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Main Results:

  • Acupuncture groups showed improvement over the waitlist, but no significant difference between specific and nonspecific acupuncture.
  • Response rates after 8 weeks were 22% for specific and 39% for nonspecific acupuncture.
  • Overall response rate reached 50% after 16 weeks of treatment.

Conclusions:

  • TCM manual acupuncture is well-tolerated but not supported as a sole therapy for MDD.
  • Study implementation factors may have influenced intervention efficacy compared to naturalistic settings.