Observation of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for postpartum depression

doi:10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.06.018

Abstract

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture for postpartum depression group.

METHODS: A total of 84 participants were allocated into the acupuncture (n = 59) and blank control (BC; n = 25) groups. Participants in the acupuncture group received acupuncture therapy twice a week for 16 sessions in total, while participants in the BC group received no medical intervention. The primary outcomes were the response and elimination rates. The secondary outcome measures were the scores of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS17) and the factor analysis of the HDRS17.

RESULTS: Compared to the BC group, the acupuncture group showed significant improvement in response and elimination rates (both P < 0.05). A significant difference at week 8 was found in the between-group HDRS17 score alterations [RR = －3.04, 95% CI (－5.16, －0.92), P < 0.05]. In addition, the reduction in depression and insomnia in the acupuncture group was greater than that in the BC group [between-group difference, depression: RR =1.20, 95% CI (0.14, 2.26), P < 0.05; insomnia: RR = 0.89, 95% CI (0.16, 1.62), P < 0.05]. There were no severe adverse events in our study.

CONCLUSION: Acupuncture alleviated the severity of postpartum depressive symptoms compared to the control condition, and no serious adverse events occurred during the treatment.

Key words: acupuncture, depression, postpartum, clinical trial, 17-item Hamilton depression rating scale

XU Yuqin, YUAN Jinjun, ZHU Yanxian, CHEN Chen, MA Xiaoming, JIANG Jiaona, HUANG Xingxian, LUO Wenshu, LIU Fan, YANG Zhuoxin, ZHOU Yumei. Observation of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for postpartum depression[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2025, 45(6): 1405-1413.

Figures/Tables 5

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Characteristic	Acupuncture group (n = 52)	Blank control group ( n = 23)	P value^b
Age (years, $\bar{x}$±s)	32.9±4.1	31.9±4.4	0.361
BMI ($\bar{x}$±s)	22.0±4.6	21.5±3.8	0.639
Educational level [n (%)]
Primary education or less	18 (33.96)	10 (43.48)	0.867
Secondary education	23 (44.23)	9 (39.13)
Tertiary education	11 (21.15)	4 (17.39)
Manner of last delivery [n (%)]
Vaginal delivery	22 (42.31)	14 (60.87)	0.210
Cesarean section	30 (57.69)	9 (39.13)	0.210
Family history of MDD [n (%)]	4 (7.69)	0 (0.00)	0.316
Primiparae [n (%)]	28 (53.85)	13 (56.52)	0.830
Elderly pregnant [n (%)]	11 (21.15)	5 (21.74)	0.955
Number of delivery ($\bar{x}$±s)	1.5±0.6	1.4±0.5	0.694
Survival of newborn ($\bar{x}$±s)	1.5±0.6	1.2±0.7	0.158
Postpartum duration ($\bar{x}$±s)	128.6±90.8	119.7±75.0	0.683
EPDS scores ($\bar{x}$±s)^a	16.0±4.9	14.1±4.9	0.116
HDRS17 scores ($\bar{x}$±s)^a	14.3±3.2	13.1±4.7	0.205

Characteristic	Acupuncture group (n = 52)	Blank control group ( n = 23)	P value^b
Age (years, $\bar{x}$±s)	32.9±4.1	31.9±4.4	0.361
BMI ($\bar{x}$±s)	22.0±4.6	21.5±3.8	0.639
Educational level [n (%)]
Primary education or less	18 (33.96)	10 (43.48)	0.867
Secondary education	23 (44.23)	9 (39.13)
Tertiary education	11 (21.15)	4 (17.39)
Manner of last delivery [n (%)]
Vaginal delivery	22 (42.31)	14 (60.87)	0.210
Cesarean section	30 (57.69)	9 (39.13)	0.210
Family history of MDD [n (%)]	4 (7.69)	0 (0.00)	0.316
Primiparae [n (%)]	28 (53.85)	13 (56.52)	0.830
Elderly pregnant [n (%)]	11 (21.15)	5 (21.74)	0.955
Number of delivery ($\bar{x}$±s)	1.5±0.6	1.4±0.5	0.694
Survival of newborn ($\bar{x}$±s)	1.5±0.6	1.2±0.7	0.158
Postpartum duration ($\bar{x}$±s)	128.6±90.8	119.7±75.0	0.683
EPDS scores ($\bar{x}$±s)^a	16.0±4.9	14.1±4.9	0.116
HDRS17 scores ($\bar{x}$±s)^a	14.3±3.2	13.1±4.7	0.205

Outcome		Acupuncture group (n = 52)	Blank control group (n = 23)	P value^a
The 1st week of treatment	Responders	1 (1.92)	1 (4.35)	0.463
The 1st week of treatment	Elimination	0 (0.00)	1 (4.35)	0.247
The 2nd week of treatment	Responders	6 (11.54)	2 (8.70)	0.417
The 2nd week of treatment	Elimination	3 (5.77)	2 (8.70)	0.632
The 4th week of treatment	Responders	11 (21.15)	1 (4.35)	0.042
The 4th week of treatment	Elimination	5 (9.61)	2 (8.70)	0.458
The 8th week of treatment	Responders	23 (44.23)^*	3 (13.04)^*	0.006
The 8th week of treatment	Elimination	20 (38.46)^*	3 (13.04)^*	0.012

Outcome		Acupuncture group (n = 52)	Blank control group (n = 23)	P value^a
The 1st week of treatment	Responders	1 (1.92)	1 (4.35)	0.463
The 1st week of treatment	Elimination	0 (0.00)	1 (4.35)	0.247
The 2nd week of treatment	Responders	6 (11.54)	2 (8.70)	0.417
The 2nd week of treatment	Elimination	3 (5.77)	2 (8.70)	0.632
The 4th week of treatment	Responders	11 (21.15)	1 (4.35)	0.042
The 4th week of treatment	Elimination	5 (9.61)	2 (8.70)	0.458
The 8th week of treatment	Responders	23 (44.23)^*	3 (13.04)^*	0.006
The 8th week of treatment	Elimination	20 (38.46)^*	3 (13.04)^*	0.012

Group	Variable	Baseline	Week 1	Week 2	Week 4	Week 8
Acupuncture group (n = 52)	$\bar{x}$±s	14.33±3.24	13.19±3.49	12.37±4.03	11.19±4.17	9.12±4.84
	95% CI	13.53, 15.31	12.07, 14.47	11.29, 13.73	9.94, 12.66	7.59, 10.56
	Difference ($\bar{x}$±s)^a		－1.13±2.90	－1.96±3.45	－3.13±3.95	－5.21±4.29
	95% CI		－2.00, －0.13	－3.01, －0.90	－4.33, －1.96	－6.42, －4.09
	P value		0.007	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
	Effect size		0.392	0.568	0.794	1.216
Blank control group (n = 23)	$\bar{x}$±s	13.13±4.69	12.22±4.79	11.57±4.89	11.65±4.69	10.96±4.03
	95% CI	11.10, 15.16	10.15, 14.29	9.45, 13.68	9.63, 13.68	9.21, 12.70
	Difference ($\bar{x}$±s) ^a		－0.91±2.39	－1.57±2.43	－1.48±2.87	－2.17±4.15
	95% CI		－1.95, 0.12	－2.62, －0.52	－2.72, －0.24	－4.00, 0.38
	P value		0.081	0.005	0.022	0.020
	Effect size		0.096	0.161	0.156	0.241
Between-groups	Difference ($\bar{x}$±s)		－0.22±0.69	－0.40±0.80	－1.66±0.92	－3.04±1.06
	95% CI		－1.60, 1.15	－1.98, 1.19	－3.48, 0.17	－5.16, －0.92
	P value		0.749	0.620	0.075	0.006
	Effect size		0.041	0.065	0.232	0.339

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