Researchers asking is acupuncture as effective as antidepressants, have carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the pooled results of nine small randomised controlled trials. They stated that the evidence is inconclusive but efforts are being made to standardize complementary approaches to treat depression, and further systematized research is warranted.
(A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, January 2007.)
Researchers at the University of Texas, investigating the link between exercise and depression, have found that thirty minutes of brisk walking lifts the mood of sufferers, giving them a greater sense of vigour and improved psychological well-being for up to an hour afterwards. Forty subjects aged 18 to 55 were referred to the study after diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Twenty were assigned to treadmill walking while the remainder were assigned to a quiet rest control group.