The Effects of Acupuncture on Insomnia, Anxiety, and Depression in Women with Chronic Liver Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and effects of acupuncture on insomnia, anxiety, and depression in women with Chronic Liver Disease. Patients and Methods: Twenty-four women patients over the age of 18 years who had liver disease complicated by psychiatric disorders such as insomnia, anxiety, and depression were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (n=12) or the control group (n=12). In the treatment group, acupuncture was performed 3 times per week for 4 weeks (12 sessions in total). In control group, there was no acupuncture but the same assessment with treatment group. Insomnia, anxiety, and depression were measured using the National Cancer Center (NCC) scoring system. We assessed deterioration of liver disease using the Child score and blood tests. Results: In the treatment group, the mean NCC insomnia, anxiety, and depression scores decreased significantly over the treatment period; control group scores did not decrease significantly. After 12 acupuncture treatments, the total NCC score for insomnia, anxiety, and depression was significantly lower in the treatment group compared with that of the control group. After the trial, liver function of neither group got worse. Conclusions: These results suggest that acupuncture treatment may be beneficial in improving insomnia, anxiety, and depression among patients with chronic liver disease without worsening of liver function. Further study with a larger sample size including male participants is needed to confirm our findings.