Acupuncture Therapy VS Chiropractor Group Therapy to Reduce Anxiety and Depression.

A Controlled Clinical Trial of Group Acupuncture Therapy VS Chiropractor Group Therapy to Reduce Anxiety and Depression in People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A).

This study aims to determine and compare acupuncture therapy and chiropractor group therapy to reduce anxiety and depression among HIV/AIDS patients at Being Alive, Los Angeles. In this controlled clinical trial, a total of 30 patients will be divided into two groups, 15 in the acupuncture therapy group, 15 in the chiropractor group therapy. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), The Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7- item scales (GAD-7) will be used as screening tools for depressive and anxiety symptoms respectively.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: HIV/AIDS; Anxiety Depression
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Acupuncture; Other: Chiropractic

Detailed Description

In this study, the objectives are to determine and compare the prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety and find the most effective treatment method to assist patients in improving their quality of life utilizing holistic health treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractic to support their physical and mental health. Depression and anxiety are currently a major public health challenge worldwide especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Approximately 280 million people within the world have depression, and over 700,000 people die due to suicide per annum (WHO, 2021). This depression and anxiety in PLWHAs can result in poor quality of life, and quality of work, school, and family life. Also, risky sexual behavior, the spreading of the virus, and at its worst, depression can result in suicide.

This controlled clinical trial will explore the treatment of acupuncture versus chiropractor care to seek out which treatment can help people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A) to reduce depression and anxiety among PLWH/A patients in Being Alive, Los Angeles.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90066
      • Yo San University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• single intervention only

Exclusion Criteria:

• chiropractic and acupuncture together

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Acupuncture therapy; This study aims to compare acupuncture therapy administered one time per month	Other: Acupuncture; Acupuncture 1 time per month
Experimental: Chiropractor therapy; This study aims to compare chiropractic therapy administered one time per month	Other: Chiropractic; Chiropractic 1 time per month

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)	Seven item questionnaire of each anxiety and depression. The items are rated on 0, 1, 2, and 3 giving scores with minimum scores of 0 to 21 maximum. Score interpretation on anxiety or depression subscales ranging from 0-7 considered non case, 8-10 considered possible case, and 11-21 considered probable case, which have been reclassified and relabeled as follows: 0-7 normal, 8-10 = mild, 11-15= moderate, and ≥16 = severe of anxiety or depression.	3 months
The Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9)	Patient Health Questionnaire for depression, score interpretation. Severity. The developers report the following interpretive guidelines for the PHQ-9 as a severity measure: 1-4 no depression, 5-9 = mild de- pression, 10-14= moderate depression, 15-19 = moderately severe depression, and 20-27= severe depression.	3 months
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7)	Anxiety Disorder 7-item, scoring Scores of 5, 10, and 15 are taken as the cut-off points for mild, moderate, and severe anxiety, respectively.	3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 6, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 22, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 6, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): July 10, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 14, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Acupuncture; Anxiety and depression; Chiropractor; People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A)
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Blood-Borne Infections; Urogenital Diseases; Genital Diseases; Mental Disorders; Immune System Diseases; Behavioral Symptoms; Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Communicable Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Lentivirus Infections; Retroviridae Infections; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Mood Disorders; Slow Virus Diseases; Anxiety Disorders; HIV Infections; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: YSU8232022

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No