Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Research in Nursing & Health
Publisher
Wiley
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery / School of Science
RAS ID
52997
Funders
Edith Cowan University
Abstract
Acupuncture is widely accepted as a therapeutic option for managing depression. However, evidence from clinical trials remains controversial. This review aims to synthesize the best available evidence on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in managing depression. The review was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. Five databases and the relevant trial registries were searched from the inception to October 2021. Randomized clinical trials of acupuncture for managing depression, published in English, were selected for inclusion. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Netmeta and dmetar of R packages were used to conduct a network meta-analysis. Twenty-two trials with 2391 participants were eligible and included in the analysis. This review found evidence that electroacupuncture (EA) plus antidepressant achieved superior outcomes compared with the waitlist (standardized mean difference = −8.86, 95% confidence interval: −14.78 to −2.93). The treatment ranking of different interventions in improving depression symptoms indicated that EA plus antidepressant with a probability of 0.8294, followed by manual acupuncture (MA) plus antidepressant (0.6470) and MA (0.5232). Acupuncture, either in isolation or as an adjunct to pharmacological treatment, has clinical benefits and can be considered a safe option for managing depression.
DOI
10.1002/nur.22284
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Comments
Chen, B., Wang, C. C., Lee, K. H., Xia, J. C., & Luo, Z. (2023). Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Research in Nursing & Health, 46(1), 48-67. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22284