Acupuncture for Psychiatric Illness: A Literature Review

Samuels, Noah; Gropp, Cornelius; Singer, Shepherd Roee; Oberbaum, Menachem

doi:10.3200/bmed.34.2.55-64

Cited by 64 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…34 The method used in this study was ''pressing''; nevertheless, the authors acknowledge the fact that alternative acupressure techniques may have different effects and may play an important role in certain pathological conditions such as major depression, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia. 35,36 In the current study, the general health status of participants in both groups improved and both acupressure and sham pressure had positive effects on general health scores; however, the scores of the participants receiving acupressure showed more improvement than those of the sham pressure group ( p < 0.0001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

The Efficacy of Acupressure at theSanyinjiaoPoint in the Improvement of Women's General Health

Kashefi

Khajehei

Ashraf

et al. 2011

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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Objectives: This study's objective was to examine the effectiveness of Sanyinjiao point (SP6) acupressure on women's general health. Design: This was a randomized, single-blind clinical trial. Setting: The setting for this trial was at Medical University, Bojnoord University of Medical Science, Bojnoord, Iran. Materials and methods: Eighty-six (86) university students were recruited for this study. Their demographic characteristics were gathered before the intervention commenced. Participants completed General Health Questionnaires (GHQ) prior to participation. Next, they were randomly assigned to either the acupressurereceiving group or the sham-pressure-receiving group. The study group received acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point, while the control group received sham pressure. Outcome measures: Both groups completed GHQ after both the first and second months of intervention. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 13.5 for Windows. Results: The mean age of those who completed the study was 20.84 -1.64 years. Mean scores of GHQs were similar between groups before intervention ( p > 0.05). The general health of participants in both groups improved after intervention, and the amelioration in four domains was significant in the groups ( p < 0.05 within group). It was found that acupressure was more effective than sham pressure. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the four domains of their general heath after the first month of the intervention ( p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the general health status of the participants changed much more after the second month in both the acupressure intervention and the sham pressure groups; nevertheless, acupressure was more effective than sham pressure ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: Both acupressure and sham pressure were effective in promoting women's general health; nevertheless, the efficacy of acupressure was more than that of sham pressure. SP6 acupressure could be regarded as a self-manageable approach to improve women's general health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

The Efficacy of Acupressure at theSanyinjiaoPoint in the Improvement of Women's General Health

Kashefi

Khajehei

Ashraf

et al. 2011

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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“…Reviews by Samuels et al 32 and Pilkington et al 33 also concluded that there may be positive benefi ts with acupuncture in the treatment of depression and anxiety. In particular, they found that patients undergoing surgical procedures reported decreased anxiety symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Electroacupuncture on Stress-Related Symptoms in Medical Students: A Randomised Controlled Pilot Study

Dias

Pagnin

et al. 2012

Acupunct Med

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Objective To assess the effects of electroacupuncture on stress-related symptoms⎯sleep disorders, anxiety, depression and burnout⎯in medical students, and provide data to inform a power analysis to determinate numbers for future trials. Methods Twenty-fi ve students were randomly assigned to an electroacupuncture (n=12) group or control group (n=13) that did not receive treatment. Electroacupuncture was applied at a continuous frequency 2 Hz for 20 min once a week for 8 weeks at sites on the extremities, face, ear and scalp. The outcomes of the students treated with electroacupuncture were compared with those of the control group at the endpoint, controlling the infl uence of baseline scores. The instruments used were self-administered questionnaires that comprised the validated Portuguese version of the mini-sleep questionnaire (MSQ), the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), the Beck depression inventory (BDI), the Beck anxiety inventory, the Maslach burnout inventory-student survey (MBI-SS), and World Health Organization quality of life assessment -abbreviated version (WHOQOL-bref). Results The medical students treated with electroacupuncture showed a significant decrease compared with the control group for MSQ scores (p=0.04) and PSQI (p=0.006). After treatment, 75% students in the electroacupuncture group presented a good sleep quality, compared with 23.1% of the students in the control group. No significant difference on daytime sleepiness was shown by the ESS. The electroacupuncture group showed significant improvement on depressive symptoms (BDI), the emotional exhaustion and cynicism dimensions of burnout (MBI-SS) and physical health (WHOQOL-bref). Conclusions Electroacupuncture was associated with a signifi cant reduction of stress-related symptoms, but because of the study design the authors cannot say what proportion of the reduction was due to needle stimulation.

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“…Fanti et a1 found that treatment with acupuncture decreased patients' demand for sedative drugs, reducing both discomfort and anxiety during the procedure. 10 Eich et al 12 showed that needle acupuncture leads to a signifi cant clinical improvement and to a remarkable reduction in anxiety symptoms in patients with minor depression or with generalised anxiety disorders. 12 Hong et al 13 found that sympathetic activation during anxiety was eliminated after acupuncture.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Acupuncture on Symptoms of Anxiety in Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilisation: A Prospective Randomised Controlled Study

et al. 2012

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Purpose To determine if acupuncture improves symptoms of anxiety in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. Methods A randomised clinical trial was performed in 43 patients undergoing IVF. The patients were randomised into two groups: test group (n=22) and control group (n=21). The anxiety level of each patient was analysed before and after treatment using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAS). Treatment sessions consisted of four weekly sessions. In the test group, needles were inserted at points HT7, PC6, CV17, GV20 and Yintang. In the control group, needles were inserted in areas near but not corresponding to acupuncture points. Results The mean HAS score after the 4-week experimental period was signifi cantly lower in the test group than in the control group (19.4±3.2 vs 24.4±4.2; p=0.0008). ConclusionsThe results indicate that acupuncture can reduce anxiety symptoms observed by the reduction of psychological parameters of women undergoing IVF. Further evidence should be sought as to whether acupuncture might be a complementary option for patients undergoing IVF.

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Acupuncture for Psychiatric Illness: A Literature Review

Cited by 64 publications

References 56 publications

The Efficacy of Acupressure at theSanyinjiaoPoint in the Improvement of Women's General Health

The Efficacy of Acupressure at theSanyinjiaoPoint in the Improvement of Women's General Health

Effects of Electroacupuncture on Stress-Related Symptoms in Medical Students: A Randomised Controlled Pilot Study

Effect of Acupuncture on Symptoms of Anxiety in Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilisation: A Prospective Randomised Controlled Study

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