Acupuncture and Escitalopram for Treating Major Depression Clinical Study

This is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, 2 by 2 factorial clinical trial for Major depression.

Inclusion criteria

• Between 18 and 75 years of age with no gender-based restriction.
• Fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of DSM-5 for major depressive disorder.
• A Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HDRS-17) score ≥ 17
• Ability to read and understand Mandarin Chinese, at least nine years of education, and willingness to adhere to the study protocol.
• The absence of acupuncture treatment within at least 1 year.
• Willingness to participate in the trial and provide written informed consent for the clinical trial.

Exclusion criteria

• Lifetime or current neuropsychiatric conditions, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance dependence or abuse, dementia, brain injury, epilepsy and so forth.
• High suicide risk or presenting with suicidal ideation (a score of more than 2 points on the Suicide question of the HDRS-17) at the time of entry.
• Medicated with antidepressant at the start of the trial or history of treatment failure to escitalopram.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Subjects who have acute inflammation at the planned acupuncture site on the body or any other contraindication to acupuncture.
• Candidates afraid of needles in general and reluctant to receive acupuncture in particular
• Known or suspected clinically unstable systemic medical disorder (including cancer, organ failure, or severe diseases of the cardiovascular, severe hepatic or renal insufficiency).
• Previous participation in other acupuncture trials.