Is auricular acupuncture beneficial in the inpatient treatment of substance-abusing patients? A pilot study

Patients with comorbid substance abuse problems who were admitted to a psychiatric unit of a general hospital over an 11-month period were offered treatment with auricular acupuncture. Subsequently and retrospectively, the medical records of these patients were examined to assess compliance, side effects, impact on course, and acceptance of discharge recommendations. Patient's continuation of treatment in destination programs was also followed. Seventy-seven patients were offered acupuncture: 30 patients refused or had four or fewer treatments (control group), and 47 had acupuncture five or more times (treatment group). The treatment group did significantly better than the control group as indicated by the following findings: compliance with psychiatric/substance abuse treatment on the unit was 75% in the treatment group vs. 20% in the control group, noncompliance or AMA discharge rate was 2% in the treatment group vs. 40% in the control group, acceptance of staff's discharge recommendations was 77% in the treatment group vs. 37% in the control group, and 58% of the treatment group patients remained in follow-up treatment for at least 4 months, vs. only 26% of the control group patients. Average inpatient length of stay was 22 days for the treatment group patients compared to 16 days for the control group patients. Side effects in the treated patients were negligible. Auricular acupuncture thus appears to be a safe and inexpensive treatment modality that is easily administered and produces significant results. Its wider application in substance abuse treatment appears warranted.