A pilot study carried out in America looking at acupuncture for depression, has found it to be a safe, well-tolerated and effective treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Thirty outpatients with MDD (73% female and mean age 47), received acupuncture for eight weeks, either once or twice a week depending on their preference. Depression scores decreased from 19.1 to 9.9 in the once-weekly group, and from 21.9 to 14.3 in the twice-weekly group. The researchers say the results suggest acupuncture has good feasibility in outpatient settings, and that a full controlled trial is warranted.
(A Pilot Study of Acupuncture Monotherapy in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, accepted March 2012.)