title: Acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled pilot trial.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the potential efficacy and acceptability of accupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People diagnosed with PTSD were randomized to either an empirically developed accupuncture treatment (ACU), a group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), or a wait-list control (WLC). The primary outcome measure was self-reported PTSD symptoms at baseline, end treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Repeated measures MANOVA was used to detect predicted Group X Time effects in both intent-to-treat (ITT) and treatment completion models. Compared with the WLC condition in the ITT model, accupuncture provided large treatment effects for PTSD (F [1, 46] = 12.60; p < 0.01; Cohen's d = 1.29), similar in magnitude to group CBT (F [1, 47] = 12.45; p < 0.01; d = 1.42) (ACU vs. CBT, d = 0.29). Symptom reductions at end treatment were maintained at 3-month follow-up for both interventions. Accupuncture may be an efficacious and acceptable nonexposure treatment option for PTSD. Larger trials with additional controls and methods are warranted to replicate and extend these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Geriatric Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hollifield
authors.forename: Nityamo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sinclair-Lian
authors.forename: Teddy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hammerschlag
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012107:Research Design; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists