2026 ECNP Congress

PS03-3116

The impact and neurophysiological mechanisms of acupressure on mental wellbeing in young adults

Yuan Zhuang — J.J. Lin · The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Department of Rehabilitation Science, Hong Kong, China

2026 ECNP Congress

Introduction: Young adults face a profound mental health crisis, with depression and anxiety being highly prevalent and significantly impairing daily social functioning. [1]. Current mainstream treatments, including pharmacological antidepressants and psychotherapy, are often hindered by adverse side effects, high costs and substantial time commitments, creating an urgent demand for non-invasive, economical, and self-administrable complementary therapies. [2]. Acupressure, a core component of traditional Chinese medicine, involves stimulating specific acupoints to restore energy flow and regulate the central nervous system. Previous literature suggests it may modulate depression through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, neurotransmitters, and inflammatory factors. However, rigorous neurophysiological evidence validating these mechanisms remains scarce. [3].Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a home-based, self-managed acupressure intervention for young adults with mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety, and to objectively examine its underlying neurophysiological mechanisms.Methods: A 2-arm RCT was conducted with 22 participants (18-29 years) experiencing mild-to-moderate depression or anxiety recruited from the community and randomized them into active acupressure (AP) or sham acupressure (SAP) for 4 weeks. The 4-week intervention involved 20 sessions (2 face-to-face, 18 self-administered). Both AP and SAP groups were conducted using electronic pulses by a portable device (Brand HuaTuo, Model SDZ-IIB) at a low frequency (2 Hertz) and a high intensity (40) to achieve the sensation of deqi of acupressure [4]. The AP group targeted Shenmen, Neiguan, and Fengchi acupoints and the SAP group targeted non-acupoint locations as control. The assessment was conducted in the baseline, after 4-week intervention and 1-month follow-up. Outcomes of psychological scales measuring included Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) scores, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Salivary cortisol levels were collected to assess HPA axis activity, and electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded to evaluate alpha power spectral density (PSD) and brain functional connectivity (FC). Statistical analyses included the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test for within-group comparisons and Linear Mixed Models for between-group and interaction effects, with significance set at 0.05.Results: After intervention, both AP and SAP groups showed significant reductions in DASS-21 scores (depression, anxiety, stress) and improved sleep quality. Although both groups improved with a time effect (p<0.05), the between-group differences did not reach statistical significance. Objectively, salivary cortisol levels decreased highly significantly in both groups (p=0.017), with the experimental group showing better results. EEG results indicated decreased alpha PSD and altered alpha and theta FC, suggesting decreased anxiety and depression and increased attention, with group-specific connectivity changes. Conclusion: Overall, home-based self-managed acupressure demonstrates positive effects on mental health in young adults. Acupressure demonstrates potential as a low-cost, non-invasive self-care tool for improving mental health in young adults, supported by reductions in subjective symptoms and objective stress biomarkers. Future full-scale trials with larger samples are warranted to definitively isolate specific acupoint effects from non-specific somatosensory benefits.

References

  1. Weissbourd, R., Batanova, M., McIntyre, J., Torres, E., Irving, S., Eskander, S., & Bhai, K. (2023). On edge: Understanding and preventing young adults’ mental health challenges. Making Caring Common, 24.
  2. Gaynes BN, et al. What did STAR*D teach us? Am J Psychiatry. 2009;166(10):1138-1144.
  3. Hmwe N T T, Subramanian P, Tan L P, et al. The effects of acupressure on depression, anxiety and stress in patients with hemodialysis: A randomized controlled trial[J]. International journal of nursing studies, 2015, 52(2): 509-518.
  4. Sun, J., Li, R., Li, X., Chen, L., Liang, Y., Zhang, Q., … & Fang, J. (2020). Electroacupuncture therapy for change of pain in classical trigeminal neuralgia: Study protocol clinical trial (SPIRIT compliant). Medicine, 99(16), e19710.