Patients receive 8 weeks (12 sessions) of acupuncture treatment plus stable medication. Patients are randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture designed to relieve symptoms of depression or acupuncture designed to relieve some other legitimate physical condition. A comparison group of patients who take medication but do not receive acupuncture is assessed to evaluate the effectiveness of medication alone. Patients participate in clinical assessment each week, which includes visiting with a psychiatrist and completing symptom rating scales.
Inclusion Criteria: * Meet DSM-IV criteria for bipolar I disorder or bipolar II disorder * Demonstrate symptoms of depression as determined by a minimum score of 25 on the Inventory for Depressive Symptoms-Clinician Rated Scale * Have taken stable psychoactive medications for at least 30 days prior to study entry