Acupuncture is as good as counselling for treating persistent depression, and provided alongside the usual care, can alleviate the symptoms of the mental illness, according to a study by the University of York and reported in The Times on September 25 2013.
For the full published research in PLOS Medicine, use this link: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001518.
It is good to read research like this as it reinforces my own experience in the treatment room where I frequently achieve very good results with patients suffering from anxiety or depression.