Acupuncture, psychotherapy, and antidepressants exhibited similar effectiveness in managing postpartum depression, with the combination of acupuncture and psychotherapy offering safety advantages.
The research systematically reviewed seven databases up to May 2024 for randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in treating postpartum depression. The selection process adhered to the Cochrane criteria. The trials under review compared acupuncture to a waitlist-control, placebo, standard control, or as an add-on treatment.
The research considered thirteen studies with 872 participants in the analysis. Findings from both pairwise and network meta-analysis showed that acupuncture, psychotherapy, and antidepressants had equivalent levels of clinical efficacy in reducing postpartum depression symptoms, as measured by the Hamilton Depression Scale and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Besides, both acupuncture and psychotherapy were effective in alleviating concurrent anxiety symptoms. A combination of acupuncture and antidepressants enhanced therapeutic effectiveness and reduced reported gastrointestinal adverse effects linked with antidepressant use. Similarly, combining acupuncture with psychotherapy delivered comparable benefits but with a superior safety profile. However, the quality of evidence varied from very low to low due to significant risks of bias and limited sample sizes.
