Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33516258›Full record

ArticleAnnals of general psychiatry2021

Effectiveness of acupuncture on anxiety disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Xiang-Yun Yang, Ning-Bo Yang, Fang-Fang Huang, Shuai Ren, Zhan-Jiang Li

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of general psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06638450 (Dense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation Plus Body Acupuncture for Adolescents With Psychological Distress), which is not on this map. Cited by 30 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
13.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06638450 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Dense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation Plus Body Acupuncture for Adolescents With Psychological Distress: a Randomized Controlled Trial With Observations on Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol Changes

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe University of Hong KongRan2026 to 2028Enrolled148ConditionsPsychological Distress, InsomniaArmsDense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation plus Body Acupuncture (DCEAS+BA), Minimal Acupuncture Stimulation (MAS)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 70 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Xiang-Yun Yang *The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Ankang Hutong Deshengmen Wai, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China.
Ning-Bo Yang *First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
Fang-Fang HuangSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
Shuai RenLuoyang Fifth People's Hospital, Luoyang, China.
Zhan-Jiang LiThe National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Ankang Hutong Deshengmen Wai, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China. lizhj8@ccmu.edu.cn.
Capital Medical University · CNFirst Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology · CNHenan University of Science and Technology · CN

Funding

Beijing Hospitals Authority Young Talents Training Program QML20181903Clinical programme of Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission Z181100001718077Key scientific research projects of universities in Henan Province 19B320008
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA number of studies have shown the positive effects of acupuncture on state anxiety. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in treating anxiety disorder remains unclear. This review and meta-analysis aimed to explore whether acupuncture has a positive effect on anxiety disorder.

methodsRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English and Chinese were found through various electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and the Chinese databases WanFang data, VIP Chinese Sci tech periodical database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The primary outcome variable was extent of anxiety symptoms. The secondary outcomes included side effects and dropout rate. Effect sizes were pooled by random-effects modelling using Rev Man 5.3.

resultsTwenty RCTs were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. All included studies were designed for patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), and 18 studies were published in Chinese. Egger's test showed that the asymmetry of the funnel plot in all studies was not significant (t = - 0.34, p = 0.74). The meta-analysis of anxiety symptoms showed that acupuncture was more effective than the control condition, with a standard mean effect size of - 0.41 (95% CI - 0.50 to - 0.31; p < 0.001), and that acupuncture intervention showed good tolerance and safety in the treatment of anxiety disorder.

conclusionOur findings suggest that acupuncture therapy aimed at reducing anxiety in patients with GAD has certain beneficial effects compared to controls. More RCTs with high quality should be conducted to fully understand the role of acupuncture in the treatment of various types of anxiety disorder. The protocol of this review was registered at the Prospero International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Registration ID: PROSPERO 2020CRD42020148536).

Indexed as

AcupunctureAnxiety disorderAnxiety symptomsGeneralised anxiety disorderMeta-analysis

Identifiers

PMID33516258
PMCPMC7847562
OpenAlexW3128399753

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.