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Abstract

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive, difficult-to-control worry accompanied by somatic hyperarousal that can impair daily functioning. Comorbidity with mood–psychotic spectrum disorders, such as schizoaffective disorder, often increases symptom burden, complicates pharmacologic management, and raises the risk of relapse. These challenges have led to growing interest in adjunctive nonpharmacological approaches for managing residual anxiety, including acupuncture, which is hypothesized to influence glutamatergic signaling and autonomic regulation. We report a 38-year-old man with schizoaffective disorder, depressive subtype, and comorbid GAD who underwent 12 sessions of adjunctive acupuncture. The protocol combined scalp acupuncture with auricular laser acupuncture, targeting anxiety as the primary therapeutic focus. Post-treatment assessments demonstrated a clinically meaningful reduction in anxiety severity on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Improvements were also observed in depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, HAM-D) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), with no reported adverse events. This case suggests acupuncture may be a feasible complementary intervention for GAD, warranting further controlled studies.

Keywords

Auricular-Acupuncture Generalized-Anxiety-Disorder Scalp-Acupuncture

Article Details

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