Purpose:The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hand holding on self-esteem and assertiveness in women patients with depression. Methods: This study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 40 women patients who were hospitalized with depression. Twenty of the women patients with depression were assigned to the experimental group (hand holding), and twenty to the control group. For the experimental treatment group hand holding was done for 2 wks. Results: The experimental group with hand holding showed an increase in self-esteem (t=3.99, p<.001), and assertiveness (t=5.37, p<.001) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Hand holding is effective for increasing self-esteem and assertiveness in women patients with depression. The simple contact of hand holding can also be regarded as an effective and accessible nursing intervention in the neuropsychiatry ward.