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SHR Neuro Cancer Cardio Lipid Metab Microb
Bosch, P; Lim, S; Staudte, H; Lee, SH; Yeo, S; Litscher, D; Litscher, G; Wang, L; van den Noort, M.
Gender Differences in the Acupuncture Treatment of Patients with Depression
DTSCH Z AKUPUNKT. 2019; 62(3): 160-165.
Doi: 10.1007/s42212-019-0189-1
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- Co-authors Med Uni Graz
- Litscher Daniela
- Litscher Gerhard
- Wang Lu
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- Abstract:
- BackgroundDepression is amental disorder and is characterized by alow, depressive mood. The disorder is more frequent in women than in men. In most cases, medication or psychotherapy are used for treatment, but nowadays acupuncture is also increasingly used as an add-on treatment.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to investigate whether gender differences exist in the acupuncture treatment of patients with depression.Materials and methodsThirty patients with depression, 20 females and 10 males, were recruited from aGerman psychiatric clinic. Apragmatic clinical trial design was used in which the patients were randomly divided into an acupuncture-treatment or awaiting-list group. The clinical intervention consisted of twelve weeks of individualized acupuncture treatment. All patients were tested three times on amood self-rating scale (Becks Depression Inventory-II, BDI-II) at the beginning of the study, after the acupuncture-treatment/waiting-list condition, and at follow-up. In addition, all acupuncture points that were used in the treatments were analyzed.ResultsMales received more needles and more points were used. The traditional Chinese medicine diagnostics showed that females have more emptiness and deficiency and males show more full patterns with heat. Acupuncture improved the score of the patients on the BDI-II and this improvement remained stable after finishing the treatment.ConclusionsIn future acupuncture treatment of patients with depression, gender differences should be taken more into account. Moreover, the present results should be replicated.
- Find related publications in this database (Keywords)
- Male
- Acupuncture therapy
- Depression
- Female
- Acupuncture points