The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acupressure on the syndrome and the symptoms of depression when used as an adjunct to psychotherapy in the treatment of depression. Single-case designs were used with four adult subjects in an out-patient clinic; three subjects in a multiple baseline design and one subject in an alternating treatment/no treatment design. All subjects received 18 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy. Jin Shin Do acupressure was added at varying times according to study design.;The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to measure the syndrome of depression; the Multiscore Depression Inventory (MDI) was used to measure the following symptoms of depression: Low Energy Level, Cognitive Difficulty, Guilt, Low Self-esteem, Social Introversion, Pessimism, Irritability, Sad Mood, Instrumental Helplessness and Learned Helplessness.;Visual inspection of graphed BDI and MDI scores was used to evaluate results by the experimental criterion. Investigator's observations and subjects' comments were used to evaluate results in relation to the therapeutic criterion. One subject showed a positive response to acupressure according to most of the experimental and therapeutic criteria. This response was maintained at the four-month follow-up. A second subject, who was diagnosed with Dysthymia in addition to Major Depression, had an initial positive response to acupressure but this was not maintained. A third subject's depression scores decreased to mild/normal during the initial phase of treatment before acupressure was begun. Data from the fourth subject were not analyzed because the initial baseline was insufficient in length.;The use of acupressure did not shorten the duration of treatment for the syndrome of depression when results were compared to the usual length of treatment reported in the literature. The symptoms of depression most consistently responsive to acupressure were Low Energy Level and Sad Mood. Social Introversion was the least responsive.;Conclusions are tentative due to study limitations. Further research is recommended because of a need for alternatives to current somatic methods used in the treatment of depression.
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