This study examined the question: "What is the individual's experience of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment for depression?" Although a review of the literature showed a lack of qualitative explorations of TCM treatment, a great body of empirical studies focused on the therapeutic effects and treatment mechanism of TCM. The literature review revealed six areas of relevance: biopsychosocial formulation of depression in Western literature, the prevalent treatment approaches for depression, the theoretical foundations of TCM treatment for psychological symptoms, TCM's understanding of depression, positive correlations of contemporary medical research with TCM conceptualization of depression, and the efficacy of TCM treatment for depression. In this study, the transcendental phenomenological model was employed to examine the participants' lived-world experiences of TCM treatment for depression. In relation to self, the findings of this study are: moving from ambivalence to advocacy; recognizing that TCM impacted awareness of emotional healing through physical intervention; gaining inner peace; believing that "you did not just deal with the disease, but also learned how to live;" realizing that TCM treatment is a natural, holistic, and safe approach of healing; and utilizing Tai Ji exercises as a maintenance tool. In relation to others, the experience of TCM treatment involved less stigmatization for participants; customized their treatment; improved their socialization; led them to view TCM doctors as humanistic practitioners; and complemented Western medicine practices. In sum, the findings of this qualitative study support the therapeutic effectiveness of TCM treatment for depression and advocate for a treatment paradigm for depression that integrates TCM's holistic methods with biomedicine's allopathic approaches.
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