TABLE 2.
Summary of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for patients with depression.
| Participants | ||||||||
| References | Sample size | Diagnostic criteria (WM/TCM) | Average age (years) IG/CG | Sex (M/F) | Intervention group regimen | Control group regimen | Main Outcomes | Results |
| Li et al., 2019 | 60 | ICD-10; CTTCMDT -S | IG: 34.73 ± 12.70 CG: 36.93 ± 15.31 |
IG: 10/20 CG: 8/22 |
AT(n = 30) IG: 4 days per week for 8 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 30) CG: sertraline, 50 mg a day for 8 weeks |
HAMD | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) |
| Liang et al., 2021 | 56 | ICD-10 | IG: 67.51 ± 5.82 CG: 67.31 ± 5.42 |
IG: 15/13 CG: 14/14 |
EA(n = 28) IG: 5 days per week for 8 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 30) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 8 weeks |
HAMD WCST MMSE | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) Significant differences in WCST scores (p < 0.05) Significant differences in MMSE scores (p < 0.05) |
| Ma, 2013 | 100 | DSM-IV; ICD-10 | n.r. | IG25/25 CG: 25/25 |
EA(n = 50) IG: 6 days per week for 4 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 50) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 4 weeks |
HRSD SDS | Significant differences in HRSD scores (p < 0.05) Significant differences in SDS scores (p < 0.05) |
| Gao and Tan, 2018 | 60 | n.r. | n.r. | n.r. | EA(n = 30) IG: 6 days per week for 4 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 30) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 4 weeks |
HAMD | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) |
| Xu et al., 2015 | 60 (52) | ICD-10/ TCM DTES | IG: 40.54 ± 5.42 CG: 41.47 ± 4.07 |
IG: 14/16 CG: 16/14 |
AT(n = 26) IG: 7 days per week for 4 weeks, 30–40 min |
PT(n = 26) CG: paroxetine, 20 mg a day for 4 weeks |
HAMD TESS | No Significant difference in HAMD scores(p > 0.05) Significant difference in TESS scores (p < 0.05) |
| Shi et al., 2013 | 76 | n.r. | IG: 57 ± 9 CG: 55 ± 8 |
IG: 16/22 CG: 14/24 |
EA(n = 38) IG: 4 days per week for 4 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 38) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 4 weeks |
HAMD PSQI | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.01) Significant differences in PSQI scores (p < 0.01) |
| Dong and Xu, 2013 | 60 (58) | CCMD-III/TCM IM; TCM DTES | IG: 42.78 ± 10.39 CG: 41.54 ± 9.53 |
IG: 7/23 CG: 6/24 |
AT(n = 29) IG: 1 times a day for 30 days, 30 min |
PT(n = 29) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 30 days |
HAMD SDS | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) Significant differences in SDS scores (p < 0.01) |
| Lv and Gan, 2018 | 60 | CGPTD/TC MDTES | IG: 39.23 ± 9.30 CG: 38.97 ± 10.52 |
IG: 12/18 CG: 13/17 |
AT (n = 30) IG: 5 days per week for 6 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 30) CG: Fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 6 weeks |
HAMD SERS | No significant difference in HAMD scores(p > 0.05) No significant difference in SERS scores (p > 0.05) |
| Song et al., 2013a | 80 | CCMD — III/TCM DTES | IG: 41.52 ± 12.53 CG: 41.57 ± 12.62 |
IG: 14/26 CG: 15/25 |
AT(n = 40) IG: 6 days per week for 6 weeks, 25 min |
PT(n = 40) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 6 weeks |
HAMD | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.01) |
| Song et al., 2013b | 60 | CCMD- III/TCM DTPS | IG: 42.32 ± 12.47 CG: 43.74 ± 12.52 |
IG: 12/18 CG: 14/16 |
AT(n = 30) IG: 6 days per week for 6 weeks, 25 min |
PT(n = 30) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 6 weeks |
HAMD Asberg | No significant difference in HAMD scores(p > 0.05) Significant differences in Asberg scores (p > 0.05) |
| Gu et al., 2015 | 60 | CCMD-III/TCM DTES; PCG TCM | IG: 61.83 ± 10.33 CG: 63.53 ± 10.11 |
IG: 19/11 CG: 18/12 |
AT(n = 30) IG: 6 days per week for 5 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 30) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 30 days |
HAMD | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) |
| Zhang, 2016 | 120 | DSM-V | n.r. | n.r. | AT(n = 60) IG: 7 days per week for 12 weeks |
PT(n = 60) CG: Citalopram, 20–60 mg a day for 12 weeks |
HAMD CGT | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) Significant differences in C GT scores (p < 0.05) |
| Chen et al., 2020 | 60 | CCMD-III/TCMIM | IG: 32.1 ± 10.6 CG: 32.3 ± 10.9 |
IG: 14/16 CG: 13/17 |
AT(n = 30) IG: 5 days per week for 12 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 30) CG: Mirtazapine, 30 mg a day for 12 weeks |
HAMD HAMD | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) No significant difference in HAMD scores(p > 0.05) |
| Yang and Zhang, 2015 | 60 | ICD-10 | IG: 39.73 ± 13.4 CG: 38.43 ± 12.2 |
IG: 14/16 CG: 13/17 |
AT(n = 32) IG: 5 days per week for 8 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 32) CG: Citalopram, 10–40 mg a day for 8 weeks |
HAMD | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) |
| Wang et al., 2016 | 64 | DSM-IV/TCM DTES | IG: 41.3 ± 5.2/ CG: 42.1 ± 4.7 |
IG: 15/17 CG: 14/18 |
AT(n = 32) IG: 6 days per week for 8 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 32) CG: Mirtazapine, 15–45 mg a day for 8 weeks |
SERS | Significant differences in SERS scores (p < 0.05) |
| Wang and Shui, 2015 | 60 | CCMD-III/ DSM-IV | 44.2 | 22/38 | AT(n = 30) IG: 7 days per week for 6 weeks, 20 min |
PT(n = 30) CG: Mirtazapine, 15–45mg a day for 6 weeks |
HAMD | No significant difference in HAMD scores(p > 0.05) |
| Chen, 2014 | 52 | CCMD-III | 44.7 | 18/34 | AT(n = 26) IG: 5 days per week for 8 weeks |
PT(n = 26) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 8 weeks |
HAMD | No significant difference inHAMD scores(p > 0.05) |
| Zhao, 2015 | 90 | CCMD-III | IG: 43.19 ± 11.37 CG: 42.85 ± 11.69 |
IG: 21/24 CG: 20/25 |
AT(n = 45) IG: 1 times a day for 90 days, 30 min |
PT(n = 50) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 90 days |
HAMD | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) |
| Guo and Miao, 2018 | 100 | n.r. | IG: 45.23 ± 4.95 CG: 44.22 ± 4.97 |
IG: 27/23 CG: 26/24 |
AT(n = 50) IG: 7 days per week for 5 weeks, 30 min |
PT(n = 50) CG: fluoxetine, 20 mg a day for 5 weeks |
HAMD TESS | No significant difference in HAMD scores(p > 0.05) Significant differences in TESS scores (p > 0.05) |
| Wang et al., 2013 | 60 (48) | DSM-IV | IG: 48.01 ± 13.04 CG: 47.01 ± 10.06 |
IG: 7/17 CG: 8/16 |
AT(n = 24) IG: 3 times per week for 24 weeks, 20 min |
PT(n = 24) CG: fluoxetine, 10–60 mg a day for 24 weeks |
HAMD | Significant differences in HAMD scores (p < 0.05) |
M, Western medicine/traditional Chinese medicine; IG/CG, intervention group regimen/control group regimen, M/F, Man/Female; ICD-10, International Classification of Disuses Ten Edition; CTTCMDT-S, clinic terminology of traditional Chinese medical diagnosis and treatment—syndromes; TCM DTES, TCM diagnosis and therapeutic effect standard; AT, acupuncture treatment; PT, pharmacotherapy; HAMD/HRSD, Hamilton depression scale; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV); EA, electro-acupuncture; WCST, Wisconsin card sorting test; MMSE, mini-mental state examination; SDS, self-rating depression scale; PSQI, Pittsburgh sleep quality index; CCMD-III, classification and diagnostic criteria for mental, disorders in China Third Edition; TCM IM, traditional Chinese internal medicine; CGPTD, Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression; Asberg/SERS, Asberg side-effect rating scale for antidepressant; PCG TCM, Principles of clinical research guidelines for new traditional Chinese medicine; CGT, Clinical global impression, TESS, treatment emergent symptom scale.