Acupuncture for treating depression in adults: systematic review and metanalysis / Acupuntura no tratamento da depressão em adultos: revisão sistemática e metanálise

Abstract

Aims: To analyze the scientific literature on the effects of acupuncture on depression in adults, the available treatment protocols, and to identify comparisons between the effects of acupuncture and standard depression treatments. Method: A systematic review was carried out guided by the following questions: "What are the effects of acupuncture on depression in adults?" and "Which protocol should be used for depression treatment?". The descriptors "depression", "acupuncture", and "acupuncture therapy" were used in the following databases: Medline via Pubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus, and Lilacs. Two independent reviewers carried out the literature search, extraction, and qualitative analysis. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis was performed using the statistical software Stata. Results: From 1,126 studies identified, 49 met the study objectives. It was not possible to establish a treatment protocol due to the diversity of application of the technique. However, the studies have proved that acupuncture significantly reduces depression in adults (p-value = 0.037). Conclusion: It is concluded that acupuncture has advantages in relieving depressive symptoms when compared to standard treatments.