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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2025 , Vol. 45 >Issue 6: 1405 - 1413

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.06.018

Original Articles

Observation of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for postpartum depression

  • Yuqin XU ,
  • Jinjun YUAN ,
  • Yanxian ZHU ,
  • Chen CHEN ,
  • Xiaoming MA ,
  • Jiaona JIANG ,
  • Xingxian HUANG ,
  • Wenshu LUO ,
  • Fan LIU ,
  • Zhuoxin YANG ,
  • Yumei ZHOU
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  • Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen 518000, China

Received date: 2023-08-21

  Accepted date: 2024-05-25

  Online published: 2025-11-24

Supported by

National Natural Science Foundation of China(82004470);Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Depression by Regulating Host Toll-like receptor 4/Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Signaling Pathway via Gut Microbiota; the Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital "3030 Program", Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Project(G3030202119);Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Postpartum Depressive Disorder and Brain-Gut Response Characteristics Based on the "Gut Microbiota-Habenular Nucleus Neural Circuit" Pathway;Medical Research Foundation of Guangdong Province(B2023099);Study on Epidemiological Investigation of Postpartum Depression in Shenzhen Based on Internet Terminals and Evaluation of Intervention Effect of "Internet +" Peer Education; the National Veteran Chinese Medicine Expert Inheritance Studio Construction Project((2022)75)

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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

Cite this article

Yuqin XU , Jinjun YUAN , Yanxian ZHU , Chen CHEN , Xiaoming MA , Jiaona JIANG , Xingxian HUANG , Wenshu LUO , Fan LIU , Zhuoxin YANG , Yumei ZHOU . Observation of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for postpartum depression[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2025 , 45(6) : 1405 -1413 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.06.018

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