Efeitos da auriculoterapia em universitários com estresse, sintomas ansiosos e ou depressivos: estudo multimétodos

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Auriculotherapy, recognized by the World Health Organization and incorporated into the Brazilian Unified Health System as one of the Integrative and Complementary Health Practices, is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat physical and emotional imbalances. It acts on specific points of the ear to alleviate symptoms such as stress, anxiety, and depression. It is a low-cost, non-invasive method with lacks randomized studies focused on young people, such as university students, to verify evidence of effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of the auriculotherapy protocol on the outcomes of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in a group of students who received the Shen protocol and the Sham protocol (placebo). METHODOLOGY: This is a randomized controlled clinical trial, conducted at a public university in the interior of Maranhão, from November 2024 to October 2025, involving volunteer students, divided into a case group and a control group, with ten (10) sessions held once a week, blinding the participant to the protocol they would receive, with pre- and post-intervention assessment using symptom assessment instruments for depression, anxiety and stress. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: 117 participants were recruited, but only 78 completed all stages. A significant reduction in mean scores for anxiety, depression and stress was observed in the case group (p<0.001). The control group showed improvement for anxiety and depression, but not for stress. There was a decrease in severe levels of anxiety and depression and an increase in mild and moderate classifications after the intervention. Stress showed more consistent improvement only in the group subjected to the Shen protocol. CONCLUSION: The current challenge of promoting mental health for young people, especially university students, finds in auriculotherapy a possibility for mitigating stress in the academic environment. Furthermore, institutional strategies for early screening, psychosocial support, and mental health promotion programs for this population are also necessary