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Can pressing your own pressure points ease depression?

NCT ID NCT05631184

Symptom relief Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 22, 2026 · Last updated Sep 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers in Hong Kong are testing whether people with moderate depression can ease their symptoms by learning to press specific acupressure points on their own bodies. The trial compares self-administered acupressure with a mental health education programme in 250 adults aged 18 to 65. Participants attend two weekly training sessions over 12 weeks, and researchers measure changes in depressive symptoms using standard questionnaires.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
self-administered acupressure, a traditional Chinese medicine technique where people press specific points on their own body
What this could lead to
If it works, self-administered acupressure could offer a low-cost, drug-free way for people with depression to ease their symptoms at home.
What could go wrong
This is a behavioural trial, not a drug study, and results depend on whether participants practise correctly and stick with it. Acupressure may turn out to work no better than mental health education, and it is not a replacement for standard depression care.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

250 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2022

Finished

Sep 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Hong Kong residents aged 18 to 65 2. Can communicate in Cantonese and comprehend written Chinese 3. Have moderate or above-level depression as measured by the PHQ-9 with a score of 10 or above 4. Willing to give informed consent and comply with the trial protocol. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Have the PHQ score of 20 or above (referral information to community psychological services will be provided) 2. New onset or change of antidepressant medication or dosage in the last 3 months 3. Previous or current diagnosis of schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, or bipolar disorder as screened using the Chinese version of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4. Have cognitive impairment diagnosed by the Hong Kong Montreal Cognitive Assessment with a score \< 22 5. Skin lesions or infections at the treatment sites 6. Significant suicidal risk as rated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale item on suicide (score ≥3) 7. Pregnant or childbearing potential but not using adequate contraception 8. With any major medical condition that causes depression based on the judgement of a psychiatrist.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression depressive disorder major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Depression Depressive disorder Depressive symptoms

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • School of Nursing, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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