Woman sits in front of a dark background and holds her head in her hands.

Study on the effect of acupuncture on anxiety and depression

Tina Arvidsdotter et al.

November 2013

Mental health

TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)

The University of Gothenburg and the Research and Development Center Fyrbodal in Sweden conducted a randomized controlled trial with the aim of evaluating and comparing the effectiveness of integrative treatment (IB), therapeutic acupuncture (TA) and conventional therapy in relieving anxiety and depression. The sample consisted of 120 adults aged 20 to 55 years with psychological distress. This was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale at baseline, after four and after eight weeks of treatment.

There were no differences between the three groups at the start of the study, but after four and eight weeks the HAD score fell in both the IB and TA groups. The conventional treatment showed no significant improvement. The study thus proved that both IB and TA are suitable and more effective than conventional therapy in reducing symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Depression, anxiety
Institution: Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Title: Study on the effect of acupuncture on anxiety and depression
Brief description: Acupuncture and integrative treatment reduce anxiety and depression more effectively than conventional therapy, according to a Swedish study
Original title: Effects of an integrative treatment, therapeutic acupuncture and conventional treatment in alleviating psychological distress in primary care patients--a pragmatic randomized controlled trial
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24200100/