2007 ; 69(7): 587–596. doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e318148c19a. | James A. Blumenthal, PhD, Michael A. Babyak, PhD, P. Murali Doraiswamy, MD, Lana Watkins, PhD, Benson M. Hoffman, PhD, Krista A. Barbour, PhD, Steve Herman, PhD, W. Edward Craighead, PhD, Alisha L. Brosse, PhD, Robert Waugh, MD, Alan Hinderliter, MD, and Andrew Sherwood, PhD
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of aerobic exercise training, either performed at home or in a supervised group setting, in reducing depression compared to standard antidepressant medication (sertraline) and placebo. A total of 202 adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: supervised group exercise, home-based exercise, sertraline, or placebo for 16 weeks. The results showed that 41% of participants achieved remission, defined as no longer meeting MDD criteria and a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) score of <8. Patients receiving active treatments tended to have higher remission rates than placebo controls, with supervised exercise (45%), home-based exercise (40%), and medication (47%) achieving higher remission rates compared to 31% for placebo. All treatment groups showed lower HAM-D scores after treatment, but the differences were not statistically significant. The study concluded that exercise is generally comparable in efficacy to antidepressant medication in treating MDD, with both showing better outcomes than placebo. However, the high placebo response rate suggests that patient expectations and other nonspecific factors play a significant role in the therapeutic response.This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of aerobic exercise training, either performed at home or in a supervised group setting, in reducing depression compared to standard antidepressant medication (sertraline) and placebo. A total of 202 adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: supervised group exercise, home-based exercise, sertraline, or placebo for 16 weeks. The results showed that 41% of participants achieved remission, defined as no longer meeting MDD criteria and a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) score of <8. Patients receiving active treatments tended to have higher remission rates than placebo controls, with supervised exercise (45%), home-based exercise (40%), and medication (47%) achieving higher remission rates compared to 31% for placebo. All treatment groups showed lower HAM-D scores after treatment, but the differences were not statistically significant. The study concluded that exercise is generally comparable in efficacy to antidepressant medication in treating MDD, with both showing better outcomes than placebo. However, the high placebo response rate suggests that patient expectations and other nonspecific factors play a significant role in the therapeutic response.