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Several meta-analyses (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2010; CD004046) clearly show that acupuncture is not an effective treatment for major depression among heterogeneous groups of depressed patients. This randomized controlled trial involved 150 women with major depression (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [HRSD], ≥14; mean of 3 previous episodes) during pregnancy (12–20 weeks' gestation). During the 8-week study, participants received 12 sessions of depression-specific acupuncture, a credible acupuncture control (sham acupuncture; e.g., needling at sites that do not address depression “disharmony”), or a massage control.
The acupuncture group had greater improvement in HRSD scores than the combined comparison groups, with a small-to-modera…