Comorbid depression and insomnia are ubiquitous mental complaints among women going through the perimenopausal stage of life and can result in major decline in quality of life. Antidepressive agents combined with/without hypnotics, and/or hormone therapy are currently the most common treatment for perimenopausal depression (PMD) and insomnia (PMI). Balancing the benefits of these pharmacotherapies against the risk of adverse events (AEs) is a difficult task for both clinicians and women. There has been a growing body of research regarding the utilization of acupuncture for treatment of PMD or PMI, whereas no studies of acupuncture for comorbid PMD and PMI have appeared. In this review, we summarize the clinical and preclinical evidence of acupuncture as a treatment for PMD or PMI, and then discuss the potential mechanisms involved and the role of acupuncture in helping women during this transition. Most clinical trials indicate that acupuncture ameliorates not only PMD/PMI but also climacteric symptoms with minimal AEs. It also regulates serum hormone levels. The reliability of trials is however limited due to methodological flaws in most studies. Rodent studies suggest that acupuncture prolongs total sleep time and reduces depression-like behavior in PMI and PMD models, respectively. These effects are possibly mediated through multiple mechanisms of action, including modulating sex hormones, neurotransmitters, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis/hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis, oxidative stress, signaling pathways, and other cellular events. In conclusion, acupuncture is a promising therapeutic strategy for comorbid depression and insomnia during perimenopause. Neuroendocrine modulation is likely to play a major role in mediating those effects. High-quality trials are required to further validate acupuncture’s effectiveness.

Background. Many women with perimenopausal insomnia (PMI) have sought alternative therapies such as acupuncture because of concerns about risks associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and/or psychotropic drugs. This systematic review aimed to clarify if acupuncture alone or combined with standard Western pharmacotherapy (HRT and/or psychotropic drugs) is more effective in ameliorating PMI in comparison to pharmacotherapy alone. Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PMI treatment via acupuncture alone or combined with Western pharmacotherapy versus Western pharmacotherapy were searched for from eleven databases from inception to March 2020. Cochrane criteria were followed. Results. Fifteen studies involving 1410 women were analyzed. Meta-analysis indicated that acupuncture significantly reduced the global scores of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) [MD = −2.38, 95% CI (−3.38, −1.37), < 0.01] and Kupperman Index [MD = −5.95, 95% CI (−10.68, −1.21), = 0.01], compared with hypnotics. Acupuncture combined with hypnotics was more effective than hypnotics alone in decreasing PSQI scores [MD = −3.13, 95% CI (−5.43, −0.83), < 0.01]. Too few RCTs were available to investigate the clinical efficacy differences between acupuncture and HRT/psychotropic drugs other than hypnotics. Conclusions. Despite limited evidence, in comparison to hypnotics, acupuncture was associated with significant improvements in PMI, and reductions of other menopausal symptoms. This finding suggests that acupuncture may be a useful addition to treatment for PMI.

Background: The globally growing demand for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has attracted educators' attention to integrate CAM into conventional nursing programs. This systematic review aimed to understand the status quo of nursing students (NSs)' overall rated knowledge of, attitude/belief toward, and practice/previous use or experience (KAP) of CAM in surveys, given these factors may influence NSs' receptivity to CAM curricula, and may be of value in guiding the development of effective teaching strategies.Methods: Formally published cross-sectional quantitative studies investigating the primary outcome of KAP toward CAM by NSs were searched for from eight databases from their inception through to 28 April 2022. PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed.Results: Twenty-six studies were included for analysis, 25 of which were judged to be of moderate to high quality. Despite limited and poorly informed knowledge of CAM therapies, the majority of NSs generally viewed them in a positive light. Furthermore, NSs usually reported an interest in further learning, and supported and welcomed the integration of CAM curricula, at least as elective modules, into existing nursing programs. Lack of evidence was perceived as a major barrier to the use or integration of CAM. Mass media and the internet were the main sources via which NSs access CAM information. Measurement of KAP in all included studies was via self-designed questionnaires/scales or adapted from previously developed questionnaires/scales.Conclusions: The need for integrating and strengthening CAM curricula into current nursing education is identified. Besides theoretical knowledge and matched clinical placement, skills training in literature searching and evidence-based practice are advised to be included in the curricula design. The experiential learning mode is strongly recommended for delivering specific CAM modalities. In addition, a standard instrumentation for determining NSs' KAP toward CAM should be designed and examined for use in different cultural settings.Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=300602, identifier: PROSPERO CRD42022300602.

Background: There is a need for evidence-informed guidance on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for insomnia because of its widespread utilization and a lack of guidance on the balance of benefits and harms. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarize the CAM recommendations associated with insomnia treatment and care from existing comprehensive clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). The quality of the eligible guidelines was appraised to assess the credibility of these recommendations.Methods: Formally published CPGs incorporating CAM recommendations for insomnia management were searched for in seven databases from their inception to January 2023. The NCCIH website and six websites of international guideline developing institutions were also retrieved. The methodological and reporting quality of each included guideline was appraised using the AGREE II instrument and RIGHT statement, respectively.Results: Seventeen eligible GCPs were included, and 14 were judged to be of moderate to high methodological and reporting quality. The reporting rate of eligible CPGs ranged from 42.9 to 97.1%. Twenty-two CAM modalities were implicated, involving nutritional or natural products, physical CAM, psychological CAM, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and mindful movements. Recommendations for these modalities were mostly unclear, unambiguous, uncertain, or conflicting. Logically explained graded recommendations supporting the CAM use in the treatment and/or care of insomnia were scarce, with bibliotherapy, Tai Chi, Yoga, and auriculotherapy positively recommended based on little and weak evidence. The only consensus was that four phytotherapeutics including valerian, chamomile, kava, and aromatherapy were not recommended for insomnia management because of risk profile and/or limited benefits.Conclusions: Existing guidelines are generally limited in providing clear, evidence-informed recommendations for the use of CAM therapies for insomnia management due to a lack of high-quality evidence and multidisciplinary consultation in CPG development. More well-designed studies to provide reliable clinical evidence are therefore urgently needed. Allowing the engagement of a range of interdisciplinary stakeholders in future updates of CPGs is also warranted.Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=369155, identifier: CRD42022369155.

Background: Due to concerns about risks associated with antidepressants and/or hypnotics, complementary therapies such as acupuncture have been sought by patients with active or previous depression to manage insomnia. This systematic review aimed to clarify if acupuncture is effective and safe enough to be recommended as an alternative or adjuvant therapy to standard care in ameliorating concomitant or residual insomnia, two types of insomnia associated with depression.Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of depression-related insomnia (DI) treatmentviaacupuncturevs. waitlist-control or placebo-/sham-acupuncture and RCTs of DI treatmentviaacupuncture alone or combined with standard care [Western pharmacotherapy and/or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)]vs. standard care alone were searched for from seven databases from inception to December 2021. Cochrane criteria were followed.Results: Twenty-one studies involving 1,571 participants were analyzed. For insomnia as a major symptom of active depression, meta-analyses suggested that acupuncture significantly reduced the global scores of both the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) [MD = −3.12, 95% CI (−5.16, −1.08),p< 0.01] and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) [SMD = −2.67, 95% CI (−3.51, −1.84),p< 0.01], in comparison with placebo-acupuncture. When compared with conventional pharmacotherapy (antidepressants and/or hypnotics), the results favored acupuncture in decreasing PSQI [MD = −1.17, 95% CI (−2.26, −0.08),p= 0.03] and HAMD [SMD = −0.47, 95% CI (−0.91, −0.02),p= 0.04]. Acupuncture was comparable to conventional pharmacotherapy in reducing scores of each domain of PSQI. For insomnia as a residual symptom of previous or partially remitted depression, acupuncture conferred a very limited, non-significant therapeutic advantage against sham-/placebo-acupuncture. Whether acupuncture has an add-on effect to conventional pharmacotherapy in this type of insomnia has not been investigated. Also, no study was available to address the efficacy differences between acupuncture and CBT or the synergistic effect of these two therapies.Conclusions: There is a low to moderate level of evidence supporting acupuncture as a safe and effective remedy alternative to or adjuvant to conventional pharmacotherapy (antidepressant and/or hypnotic) in improving insomnia and other depression symptoms among patients with active depression. Furthermore, the patients' complaint of disrupted sleep continuity is most likely to benefit from acupuncture. The benefit of acupuncture on residual insomnia associated with previous or partially remitted depression is limited. Future acupuncture studies need to consider applying optimal dosage and addressing deficiencies in trial quality.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021269880, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021269880.