Publication:

The effectiveness of acupressure therapy on anxiety: a scoping review protocol

Background Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and are considered the most common psychiatric condition globally. Acupressure is a non-invasive alternative to acupuncture and has demonstrated effectiveness in managing psychosomatic disorders. However, due to high disparities within existing clinical research, it is difficult to recommend the optimum acupressure practice for anxiety management. This manuscript details the protocol for scoping the available evidence, mapping key concepts, and identifying gaps for future research.

Methods This protocol is designed following the preferred reporting items for systemic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the Joanna Briggs institute (JBI) manual for evidence synthesis guidelines. Six electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO, dentistry and oral science source, and Scopus) and two other search engines (Google and Google Scholar) will be searched for all relevant primary and secondary studies, grey literature, and other sources concerning the type of acupressure interventions and the effectiveness of acupressure on anxiety. The sources retrieved will be independently assessed by two reviewers utilising the eligibility criteria defined by the population concept and context (PCC) framework. A PRISMA-ScR flowchart will be applied to track the number of identified, included, and excluded sources. Extracted data and variables will be presented in a data extraction table. Narrative explanations will accompany the synthesised results.

Conclusions The review’s findings can assist in identifying priorities for future research and provide recommendations for optimal protocols for clinical implementation.