Open-Label, Randomized, Parallel-Group Controlled Clinical Trial of Massage for Treatment of Depression in HIV-Infected Subjects
Year: 2012
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: The study objectives were to determine whether massage therapy reduces symptoms of depression in subjects with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. DESIGN: Subjects were randomized non-blinded into one of three parallel groups to receive Swedish massage or to one of two control groups, touch or no intervention for eight weeks. SETTINGS/LOCATION: The study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, which provided primary clinical care in an institutional setting. SUBJECTS: Study inclusion required being at least 16 years of age, HIV-seropositive, with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Subjects had to be on a stable neuropsychiatric, analgesic, and antiretroviral regimen for >30 days with no plans to modify therapy for the duration of the study. Approximately 40% of the subjects were currently taking antidepressants. All subjects were medically stable. Fifty-four (54) subjects were randomized, 50 completed at least 1 week (intent-to-treat; ITT), and 37 completed the study (completers). INTERVENTIONS: Swedish massage and touch subjects visited the massage therapist for 1 hour twice per week. The touch group had a massage therapist place both hands on the subject with slight pressure, but no massage, in a uniform distribution in the same pattern used for the massage subjects. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score, with the secondary outcome measure being the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: For both the ITT and completers analyses, massage significantly reduced the severity of depression beginning at week 4 (p ≤ 0.04) and continuing at weeks 6 (p ≤ 0.03) and 8 (p ≤ 0.005) compared to no intervention and/or touch. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that massage therapy can reduce symptoms of depression in subjects with HIV disease. The durability of the response, optimal "dose" of massage, and mechanisms by which massage exerts its antidepressant effects remain to be determined.
Language: English
Subfield: Complementary and alternative medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Center for Research Resources, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Awards: G1826260630, Treatment of Depression with Massage in End of Life AIDS, G2703310063, Meharry Clinical and Translational Research Center (MeTRC), UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute, G330033145, G3654975744, G4141622387, G4212459447, G4522934285, G5451451483, The Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR) KL2, The Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR) UL1, General Clinical Research Center, G7647125984, The Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR), G9000131218, G949362299
OpenAlex ID: W1969475910