SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Mood Disorders
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1591389
Effect of acupuncture on menopausal depressive disorder and serum hormone levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
- 2Shanxi Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
- 3Heilongjiang Nursing College, HarBin City, China
- 4Heilongjiang Winter Sport Vocational College, harbin, China
- 5Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
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Background: Menopause, marked by ovarian decline and hormonal shifts, increases vulnerability to depressive disorders, with menopausal depressive disorder (MDD) affecting 33–36% of women via psychosocial-biological interactions. Acupuncture shows promise in improving MDD through neuroendocrine regulation but lacks robust evidence, with unclear links to reproductive hormone modulation; this study evaluates its efficacy and safety.Methods:A comprehensive database search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBSCO,Scopus,Cnki, Wan Fang and VIP Database to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the impact of acupuncture on menopausal depressive disorder. RCTs published until April 21, 2025, that met our predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Data extraction, literature review, and assessment of the methodological quality of the trials were performed. The meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 software.Results:Our findings demonstrate that acupuncture significantly outperforms control interventions in improving clinical effectiveness rates (OR=2.70, 95%CI[1.63,4.48], P=0.0001) and reducing depressive symptoms, as evidenced by HAMD-17 (SMD=-0.28, P<0.0001) and HAMD-24 scores (post-sensitivity SMD=-0.39, P=0.03). Notably, acupuncture also enhanced quality of life (MENQOL: SMD=-0.25, P=0.003), though its effects on sex hormones (FSH, LH, E2) remained nonsignificant (P>0.05). Safety profiles were comparable between groups (OR=0.16, P=0.05), yet sensitivity analysis revealed reduced adverse events in the acupuncture group after excluding outlier studies (OR=0.49, P=0.03). In conclusion, the intervention of acupuncture is beneficial for MDD.Conclusion:This systematic review demonstrates that acupuncture serves as an effective and safe non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating menopausal depressive symptoms and improving quality of life. While acupuncture did not significantly modulate sex hormone levels, its therapeutic benefits are likely mediated through non-hormonal mechanisms, such as neurotransmitter regulation and neuroendocrine network modulation.
Keywords: Acupuncture, menopausal depressive disorder, menopausal syndromes, Meta-analysis, Systematic review
Received: 12 Mar 2025; Accepted: 16 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 He, Wang, Dong, Diao, Qiao, Lin and Gao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiao Gao, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150070, Heilongjiang Province, China
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