title: [Clinical study on needling method for regulating mental activities and soothing liver for treatment of melancholia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe clinical therapeutic effect of needling method for regulating mental activities and soothing liver on melancholia.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ten cases of depression were selected according to the diagnostic criteria of depression in mood disturbance (emotional and mental disturbance) and randomly divided into a regulating mental activities and soothing liver needling group (n=50), a traditional acupuncture group (n=30) and a prozac treatment group (n=30). Their therapeutic effects were evaluated by Hamilton depression scale, Self-rating depression scale (SDS), psychiatric self-rating scale (SCL-90).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the regulating mental activities and soothing liver needling group, 34 cases were cured, 10 cases were markedly effective, 4 cases were effective and 1 cases were ineffective, with the cured rate of 69.4% and the total effective rate of 98.0%, which were significantly better than those in the traditional acupuncture group (the cured rate was 48.3% and the total effective rate was 89.7%), and was not significantly different with the prozac treatment group (the cured rate was 64.0% and the total effective rate was 96.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The needling method for regulating mental activities and soothing liver has a better therapeutic effect on depression.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin College of TCM, Tianjin 300193, China. jpjs_cn@sina.com
authors.forename: Yuan-hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Gui-ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Xin-jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li-fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional