Efficacy of acupuncture at “Ghost Points” in the treatment for chronic insomnia with depressive symptoms: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Chronic insomnia is a pervasive health issue, particularly when accompanied by depressive symptoms. Limitations of conventional treatments have prompted us to explore new therapeutic approaches. This study evaluated the effect of acupuncture at “Ghost Points” for treating insomnia with depressive symptoms. Methods: This study is a randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 80 participants with chronic insomnia and depressive symptoms were randomly allocated to active-acupuncture (AA) or sham-acupuncture (SA) group. The AA group received acupuncture at “ghost points”, while the SA group received sham needles. The treatment lasted for four weeks for a total of 12 sessions. The primary outcome measures were changes in Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores at the end-of-treatment assessment. The secondary outcome measures included changes in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14), and Actigraphy (ACT) parameters. Results: We found a significantly decreased ISI scores (F = 4.070, p = 0.011), an increased sleep efficiency (p = 0.032) and lower wake after sleep onset (p = 0.048) after the treatment, indicating an ameliorated insomnia symptom. We also saw a significant decrease in BDI-II (Wald χ² = 9.716, p = 0.021), and SDS scores (p = 0.044) in the AA group compared to the SA group, indicating an acupuncture's antidepressant effects for at least one month post-treatment. Conclusions: Acupuncture at the “Ghost Points” is an effective and safe non-pharmacological way to treat chronic insomnia with depressive symptoms. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2400082104.