Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in patients with Major Depressive Disorders.Methods Search the database for relevant literature published before April 15,2023.Select randomized controlled trial that meeting the enrollment criteria,evaluate the quality of the literature and classify before meta-analysis systematic evaluation.Results 15 RCTs are included in this study,with a total of 1077 patients.The results showed that acupuncture treatment,compared with antidepressants alone,The score of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)in patients with liver-qi depression disorder[MD=-0.73,95%CI(-1.22,-0.24),P<0.05],the score of TCM Syndrome Scale[MD=-1.89,95%CI(-2.35,-1.44),P<0.001],effective rate[RR=1.09,95%CI(1.03,1.153),P=0.001]and TESS score[MD=-2.76,95%CI(-3.68,-1.85),P<0.001]were statistically significant.Compared with fluoxetine hydrochloride,the effective rate of HAMD scale score was statistically significant[RR=1.07,95%CI(1.01,1.14),P<0.05].Conclusion Compared with antidepressants alone,acupuncture therapy has the advantages for the improvement of HAMD score in patients,the improvement of Traditional Chinese medicine symptoms,and significantly less adverse effects than those in the control group.Through this study,it is considered that acupuncture can be a safe and effective treatment modality.However,due to the quantity and quality of the included literature,the above conclusions still need to be verified by more high-quality clinical trials.