Wang Yang, Gu Xinbo, Zhi Baohua, Yan Yan, Lu Fengyan, Hu Hantong, Zhang Quanai
Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 9;20(1):e0316804. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316804. eCollection 2025.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common type of anxiety disorders. GAD usually occurs in adolescence or early adulthood, and the prevalence of GAD is higher among college-enrolled young adults than in the general adult population. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of GAD. This study's objective is to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of GAD in college students and its stability.
A total of 142 subjects will be recruited for the randomized controlled trial (RCT) of current undergraduate and graduate students with GAD and will be randomized into treatment and control groups. The treatment group will receive conventional acupuncture, while the control group will receive sham acupuncture using Streitberger needles. Both groups will be administered 8 acupuncture treatment (2 times per week for 4 weeks). The follow-up duration will be 2 months. The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) will be used as the primary outcome of the study to measure the severity of anxiety disorder. The secondary outcomes of this study will be included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Self-rating anxiety Scale (SAS). The study will also evaluate the success of blinding and the safety.
Findings of this RCT will help evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for GAD in college students, potentially promoting it as an alternative treatment option. The protocol was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: ChiCTR2400080688).
广泛性焦虑障碍（GAD）是最常见的焦虑症类型。GAD通常发生在青少年期或成年早期，在大学入学的年轻人中，GAD的患病率高于普通成年人群。然而，关于针灸治疗GAD有效性的证据不足。本研究的目的是评估针灸治疗大学生GAD的疗效及其稳定性。
总共将招募142名患有GAD的本科和研究生进行随机对照试验（RCT），并随机分为治疗组和对照组。治疗组将接受传统针灸，而对照组将使用 Streitberger针进行假针灸。两组均接受8次针灸治疗（每周2次，共4周）。随访期为2个月。汉密尔顿焦虑量表（HAMA）将用作研究的主要结局指标，以测量焦虑症的严重程度。本研究的次要结局指标将包括匹兹堡睡眠质量指数（PSQI）和自评焦虑量表（SAS）。该研究还将评估盲法的成功性和安全性。
该RCT的结果将有助于评估针灸治疗大学生GAD的疗效，可能会推动其成为一种替代治疗选择。该方案已在clinicaltrials.gov上注册（标识符：ChiCTR2400080688）。
