Acupuncture for Adolescent Depression Disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundAdolescent Depression Disorder (ADD) is a disease with a high rate of disability and death worldwide, and its incidence is increasing, seriously influencing the physical and mental health of adolescents. Acupuncture is a complementary alternative therapy that has achieved good clinical eff...

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Main Authors: Yuting Duan, Yuejuan Cai, Junting Lai, Mengxi Zhang, Zewei Chen, Haichun Yang, Shujuan Liu, Yuening Deng, Enyi Liu, Feng Jiang, Zhirui Xu, Weifeng Zhu, Lin Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1597093/full
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author Yuting Duan
Yuting Duan
Yuejuan Cai
Junting Lai
Mengxi Zhang
Zewei Chen
Zewei Chen
Haichun Yang
Shujuan Liu
Yuening Deng
Enyi Liu
Enyi Liu
Feng Jiang
Feng Jiang
Zhirui Xu
Zhirui Xu
Weifeng Zhu
Weifeng Zhu
Lin Yu
Lin Yu
author_facet Yuting Duan
Yuting Duan
Yuejuan Cai
Junting Lai
Mengxi Zhang
Zewei Chen
Zewei Chen
Haichun Yang
Shujuan Liu
Yuening Deng
Enyi Liu
Enyi Liu
Feng Jiang
Feng Jiang
Zhirui Xu
Zhirui Xu
Weifeng Zhu
Weifeng Zhu
Lin Yu
Lin Yu
author_sort Yuting Duan
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundAdolescent Depression Disorder (ADD) is a disease with a high rate of disability and death worldwide, and its incidence is increasing, seriously influencing the physical and mental health of adolescents. Acupuncture is a complementary alternative therapy that has achieved good clinical efficacy in the intervention of depression, but its efficacy in ADD is uncertain. Therefore, the aim of this pilot trial is to preliminarily explore the possibility of acupuncture in the treatment of ADD, and to evaluate the feasibility of conducting further large-scale clinical trials to verify the efficacy of acupuncture.MethodsIn this pilot randomized controlled trial, 60 participants will be randomly assigned to receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture for 8 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcome will be the difference in Children’s Depression Rating Scale-revised (CDRS-R) scores at weeks 0 and 8 of treatment. Secondary outcomes will include 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) clinical score reduction rate and clinical remission rate, difference in CDRS-R scores, HAMD-17 scores, 14-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-14) scores, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale (PSQI) scores, and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) scores. All outcomes will be assessed at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 of treatment and week 12 of the follow-up period. In addition, we will assess the safety outcomes from baseline to the end of this trial and feasibility outcome after treatment.Ethics and disseminationThe trial protocol is in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, and has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University (approval number 2024NK73). The results of this trial will be made publicly available on the registration platform. Professional writers will not be used for this trial. Future authorship of trial publications will be based on the authors’ contributions.DiscussionThe results of this study will provide information on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of add, and evaluate the feasibility of acupuncture in the treatment of add, which will provide the basis for further clinical intervention and scientific research.Clinical Trial Registrationhttp://itmctr.ccebtcm.org.cn/zh-CN/UserPlatform/ProjectView?pid=730cb4d2-3634-4789-a51d-85a20514aa0a, identifier ITMCTR2024000186.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1664-0640
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Psychiatry
spelling doaj-art-d393547e24b04c658697dafaba3e55122025-08-20T03:25:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-07-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15970931597093Acupuncture for Adolescent Depression Disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled trialYuting Duan0Yuting Duan1Yuejuan Cai2Junting Lai3Mengxi Zhang4Zewei Chen5Zewei Chen6Haichun Yang7Shujuan Liu8Yuening Deng9Enyi Liu10Enyi Liu11Feng Jiang12Feng Jiang13Zhirui Xu14Zhirui Xu15Weifeng Zhu16Weifeng Zhu17Lin Yu18Lin Yu19The Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of TCM of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, ChinaThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaBackgroundAdolescent Depression Disorder (ADD) is a disease with a high rate of disability and death worldwide, and its incidence is increasing, seriously influencing the physical and mental health of adolescents. Acupuncture is a complementary alternative therapy that has achieved good clinical efficacy in the intervention of depression, but its efficacy in ADD is uncertain. Therefore, the aim of this pilot trial is to preliminarily explore the possibility of acupuncture in the treatment of ADD, and to evaluate the feasibility of conducting further large-scale clinical trials to verify the efficacy of acupuncture.MethodsIn this pilot randomized controlled trial, 60 participants will be randomly assigned to receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture for 8 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcome will be the difference in Children’s Depression Rating Scale-revised (CDRS-R) scores at weeks 0 and 8 of treatment. Secondary outcomes will include 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) clinical score reduction rate and clinical remission rate, difference in CDRS-R scores, HAMD-17 scores, 14-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-14) scores, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale (PSQI) scores, and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) scores. All outcomes will be assessed at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 of treatment and week 12 of the follow-up period. In addition, we will assess the safety outcomes from baseline to the end of this trial and feasibility outcome after treatment.Ethics and disseminationThe trial protocol is in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, and has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University (approval number 2024NK73). The results of this trial will be made publicly available on the registration platform. Professional writers will not be used for this trial. Future authorship of trial publications will be based on the authors’ contributions.DiscussionThe results of this study will provide information on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of add, and evaluate the feasibility of acupuncture in the treatment of add, which will provide the basis for further clinical intervention and scientific research.Clinical Trial Registrationhttp://itmctr.ccebtcm.org.cn/zh-CN/UserPlatform/ProjectView?pid=730cb4d2-3634-4789-a51d-85a20514aa0a, identifier ITMCTR2024000186.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1597093/fullacupunctureAdolescent Depression DisorderRCTprotocolclinical
spellingShingle Yuting Duan
Yuting Duan
Yuejuan Cai
Junting Lai
Mengxi Zhang
Zewei Chen
Zewei Chen
Haichun Yang
Shujuan Liu
Yuening Deng
Enyi Liu
Enyi Liu
Feng Jiang
Feng Jiang
Zhirui Xu
Zhirui Xu
Weifeng Zhu
Weifeng Zhu
Lin Yu
Lin Yu
Acupuncture for Adolescent Depression Disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Frontiers in Psychiatry
acupuncture
Adolescent Depression Disorder
RCT
protocol
clinical
title Acupuncture for Adolescent Depression Disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_full Acupuncture for Adolescent Depression Disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_fullStr Acupuncture for Adolescent Depression Disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_full_unstemmed Acupuncture for Adolescent Depression Disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_short Acupuncture for Adolescent Depression Disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_sort acupuncture for adolescent depression disorder protocol for a randomized controlled trial
topic acupuncture
Adolescent Depression Disorder
RCT
protocol
clinical
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1597093/full
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