Effectiveness of acupuncture as an adjunct treatment for women with postnatal depression: a systematic review protocol

Effectiveness of auriculotherapy for anxiety, stress or burnout in health professionals: a network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the effectiveness of auriculotherapy, when compared to the control group, placebo or usual treatment for anxiety, stress or burnout in health professionals.

METHOD

a systematic review conducted in nine information sources, being selected experimental or quasi-experimental studies with auriculotherapy intervention in health professionals, compared to control, placebo or usual treatment groups. Descriptive analysis and network meta-analysis by means of direct and indirect comparison. Quality of the outcomes was assessed with the Confidence in Network Meta-analysis.

RESULTS

15 articles were included: 66.6% with Nursing teams and 53.3% with interventions involving semi-permanent needles. The shen men, brainstem, kidney, sympathetic, lung and liver acupoints predominated. There was a reduction in anxiety with semi-permanent needles (CI -8.18, -6.10), magnetic palettes (CI -7.76, -5.54), placebo (CI -5.47, -3.36) and seeds (CI -6.35, -4.05); as well as in stress with semi-permanent needles (CI -37.21, -10.88) and seeds with (CI -28.14, -11.70) and without a closed protocol (CI -36.42, -10.76). Meta-analysis was unfeasible for burnout; however, significant reductions were verified when it was treated with auriculotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Auriculotherapy is effective to reduce anxiety and stress in health professionals; however, this assertion cannot be made in the case of burnout. It was evidenced that workers' health is favored with the use of auriculotherapy.

Efectividad de la auriculoterapia para la ansiedad, el estrés o el burnout en profesionales de la salud: metaanálisis en red

Resumen Objetivo: analizar la efectividad de la auriculoterapia, comparándola con el grupo control, el placebo o el tratamiento habitual para la ansiedad, el estrés o el burnout de los profesionales de la salud. Método: revisión sistemática en nueve fuentes de información, siendo seleccionados estudios experimentales o cuasiexperimentales con intervención de auriculoterapia en profesionales de la salud, comparada con grupos control, placebo o atención habitual. Análisis descriptivo y metaanálisis en red por comparación directa e indirecta. La calidad de los resultados se evaluó con Confidence in Network Meta-analysis. Resultados: Se incluyeron 15 artículos, 66,6% con equipos de enfermería, 53,3% con intervención de aguja semipermanente. Predominaron los puntos de acupuntura shen men, tronco encefálico, riñón, simpático, pulmón e hígado. Se observó una reducción de la ansiedad con agujas semipermanentes (IC -8,18, -6,10), paletas magnéticas (IC -7,76, -5,54), placebo (IC -5,47, -3,36) y semillas (IC -6,35, -4,05); del estrés con agujas semipermanentes (CI -37,21, -10,88) y semillas con (CI -28,14, -11,70) y sin protocolo cerrado (CI -36,42, -10,76). No fue posible realizar el metaanálisis para el burnout, pero se constató que hubo reducciones significativas cuando se trató con auriculoterapia. Conclusión: la auriculoterapia es eficaz para reducir la ansiedad y el estrés en los profesionales de la salud, pero no se puede afirmar que lo sea para el burnout. Se observó que la salud del trabajador mejora con el uso de la auriculoterapia.

Efetividade da auriculoterapia para ansiedade, estresse ou burnout em profissionais da saúde: metanálise em rede

Resumo Objetivo: analisar a efetividade da auriculoterapia comparada ao grupo controle, placebo ou tratamento habitual para ansiedade, estresse ou burnout de profissionais da saúde. Método: revisão sistemática em nove fontes de informação, sendo selecionados estudos experimentais ou quase-experimentais com intervenção de auriculoterapia em profissionais da saúde, comparados com grupos controle, placebo ou tratamento habitual. Utilizou-se análise descritiva e metanálise em rede por comparação direta e indireta. A qualidade dos desfechos foi avaliada por meio do Confidence in Network Meta-analysis. Resultados: foram incluídos 15 artigos, sendo 66,6% com equipes de enfermagem, 53,3% com intervenção de agulhas semipermanentes. Predominaram os acupontos shen men, tronco cerebral, rim, simpático, pulmão e fígado. Houve redução de ansiedade com agulhas semipermanentes (IC -8,18, -6,10), paletas magnéticas (IC -7,76, -5,54), placebo (IC -5,47, -3,36) e sementes (IC -6,35, -4,05); de estresse com agulhas semipermanentes (IC -37.21, -10.88) e sementes com (IC -28.14, -11,70) e sem protocolo fechado (IC -36.42, -10.76). A metanálise foi inviável para burnout, mas foram constatadas reduções significativas quando tratado com auriculoterapia. Conclusão: a auriculoterapia é efetiva para reduzir ansiedade e estresse de profissionais da saúde, não sendo possível realizar esta afirmação para burnout. Evidenciou-se que a saúde do trabalhador é favorecida com uso da auriculoterapia.

Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Patients Diagnosed with Postpartum Depression: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of most common postnatal complications, affecting approximately 10%-15% of women after childbirth annually. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been gaining popularity as the choice of treatment for PPD in Taiwan. Hence, our aim was to analyze the utilization of TCM among PPD patients in Taiwan. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a random sample of one million beneficiaries selected from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified patients with PPD who had received either TCM treatment or non-TCM treatment from the database during 2000-2012. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with the use of TCM. A total of 653 patients with PPD were enrolled. The majority of patients with PPD were 26-30 years old, lived in a highly urbanized area of Taipei, had a monthly income <20,000 NT$, and were private enterprise employees. Around 52.7% of PPD patients had the motivation to seek TCM services. Younger women, who resided in central and southern Taiwan and who had used TCM one year before PPD diagnosis, were more likely to use TCM services. PPD patients who underwent TCM treatment had a lower overall medical expenditure than non-TCM users. Most TCM users chose simple Chinese herbal medicine. The coexisting factors that made PPD patients to seek TCM services were respiratory or oral infections. We demonstrated the characteristics of those that seek TCM for PPD, which may provide useful insights to health care providers towards resource allocation.