Self-administered acupressure training for depression in community-dwelling individuals: a randomized controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis

EClinicalMedicine. 2026 Jun 16;96:104023. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.104023. eCollection 2026 Jun.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depression is a detrimental mental disorder. Self-administered acupressure (SAA), a flexible self-help intervention, may be beneficial for relieving depression.

METHODS: A randomized controlled trial with cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted in a community setting in Hong Kong, China, between November 20, 2022, and August 19, 2024. Adults with moderate depression were randomized into SAA or mental health education (MHE) group. Participants in the SAA group underwent an acupressure training program (two 2-h sessions); they were told to practice SAA daily for 12 weeks. Participants in the MHE group received mental health education with the same schedule and duration. The primary outcome was the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score over 12 weeks. This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (#NCT05631184).

FINDINGS: A total of 250 participants (186 female [74.4%]; mean [SD] age, 41.86 [12.85] years; mean [SD] depression duration, 5.58 [6.86] years) were recruited. The SAA group (n = 125) showed a significantly greater reduction from baseline in the PHQ-9 score than the MHE group across all assessment time points (week 4: mean difference -1.04 [95% CI: -2.02 to -0.06], d = 0.26, P = 0.04; week 8: -1.25 [-2.39 to -0.11], d = 0.27, P = 0.03; week 12: -1.46 [-2.65 to -0.27], d = 0.31, P = 0.02). No serious adverse events were reported, although the adverse events may not have been adequately collected at all time points.

INTERPRETATION: Despite the clinically small effect sizes, the SAA training program is a potentially effective intervention for moderate depression.

FUNDING: Health Medical Research Fund.

PMID:42339308 | PMC:PMC13284438 | DOI:10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.104023