| Objectives: To investigate current status of randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) registration for suicide attempters. Methods: The World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO-ICTRP) was used to search for data using 'suicide' as a search term. All registration information of RCTs registered up to April 2023 were collected. Results: Among a total of 68 RCTs registered, the United States ranked the highest in terms of quantity in this field (n=30, 46.15%), whereas Asia had only six (8.82%). A total of 62 (91.18%) RCTs involved individual interventions, while nine (13.24%) RCTs involved group interventions. Among individual interventions, 11 (16.18%) and 54 (79.41%) RCTs were on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, respectively. Within psychotherapy, there were a total of 17 (25%) studies utilizing digital media, with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) via phone being the most common approach. Among non-digital media-based studies, CBT was used the most frequently (n=11, 16.18%), followed by attempted suicide short intervention program (n=6, 8.82%). There were no studies using interventions from East Asian traditional medicine, including Korean medicine (KM). The most frequently used main outcome was the Beck scale for suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Studies on suicide attempts in Asia, especially in South Korea, are very scarce. Despite vigorous psychotherapeutic research in this field, KM psychotherapy has not been used. Thus, KM clinical trial for suicide attempters might be planned in the future based on our findings. |
| Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze public and researcher interests in suicide and related illnesses and acupuncture and acupressure treatment using Google Trends and some electronic databases. Methods: Search results for keywords "suicide," "acupuncture," "acupressure," and several illnesses related to suicide were analyzed in Google Trends from January 2004 to June 2023. Illnesses included anxiety, depression (including major depressive disorder), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorder (including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa), substance use disorder, autism spectrum disorder, personality disorder (including borderline person- ality disorder), and chronic pain. Search results were extracted using relative search volume (RSV) scores between 0 and 100. Search terms were also searched in online databases, including PubMed, CNKI, and OASIS, to estimate the number of related studies, and descriptive analysis was conducted. Results: Google Trends analysis showed a strong positive correlation between the RSVs of "suicide and depression," "acupuncture and chronic pain," and "acupressure and PTSD." The electronic database search results produced numerous studies published on "suicide and depression," "acupuncture and depression," and "acupressure and anxiety." High interest in "suicide and depression," "acupuncture and chronic pain," and "acupressure and anxiety" was seen among the public and researchers. Interest in "suicide and chronic pain," "acupuncture and eating disorder," and "acupressure and PTSD" was higher in the public than among researchers, while "anxiety and suicide" and "anxiety and acu- puncture" showed opposite trends. Conclusions: The results of this research enable an understanding of public and researcher interest in suicide, acupuncture, acupressure, and suicide-related illnesses. The results also provide a basis for fu- ture research and examining public health implications in Korean medicine. |
| Objectives: To analyze the trend of Korean patents of natural product extracts for depression. This study also aimed to enhance the development and application of natural product extracts for depression in Korean herbal medicine. Methods: We searched the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service and Science ON to collect Korean patent data of natural product extracts for depression. Two authors independently screened and assessed full texts of screened patents for eligibility. Included patents were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: A total of 62 patents from 2002 to December 2021 were included for analysis. The number of patents has constantly increased since 2002. Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer, Perilla frutescens Britton var. acuta Kudo, Zizyphus jujuba Miller var. inermis Rehder were frequently used among 62 patents. Alcohol extraction was mostly used, followed by water extraction and ethyl extraction regarding extract methods. Eight patents were herbal medicine used for treating depression in Korean Medicine. Conclusions: Various Korean herbal medicine and minerals were used as natural-products for treating depression. These results provide fundamental data that can be used for inventing new patents using Korean herbal medicine, developing new natural product extracts for depression, and extending the range of application of these products in clinical setting. |
| Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide clinical evidence to support the use of auricular blood-letting therapy (ABT) for headaches. Methods: Studies were identified by a comprehensive search of five databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effects of the ABT for headaches were included. Two authors independently extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies using Cochrane's risk-of-bias tool. If two or more studies reported the same outcome, a meta-analysis was performed. Meta-analysis results for dichotomous variables are expressed as risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of eight RCTs were included in this review. The total effective rate (TER) was the most commonly used outcome measurement. Among the eight RCTs, five were included in the metaanalysis. The TER was not statistically significantly different in the ABT group compared to the medication group (two studies, n=55, RR=1.24, 95% CI: 0.78 to 1.96, p=0.36, I2 =86%). However, the TER of the combined ABT and medication group was significantly different compared to the medication alone group (four studies, n=159, RR=1.23, 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.35, p<0.0001, I2 = 0%). Pain and mental health-related outcomes in the combined ABT and medication group were significantly different from the control groups. The methodological quality of the included RCTs was generally low. Conclusions: ABT combined with medication may be effective for treating headaches. However, the number of studies included was small, so the results were insufficient, and statistically significant effects were not confirmed for a single implementation of ABT. Thus, well-designed further studies based on the findings of this study are recommended. |
