Exercise for depression

Exercise for depression

2010 | Mead, Gillian E.; Morley, Wendy; Campbell, Paul; Greig, Carolyn A.; McMurdo, Marion; Lawlor, Debbie A.
This Cochrane review, published in 2010, evaluates the effectiveness of exercise in treating depression. The review includes 28 randomized controlled trials with 907 participants, comparing exercise to no treatment, control interventions, cognitive therapy, bright light therapy, and antidepressants. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) for the effect of exercise versus no treatment was -0.82 (95% CI -1.12 to -0.51), indicating a large clinical effect. However, when only methodologically robust trials with adequate allocation concealment, intention to treat analysis, and blinded outcome assessment were included, the SMD was -0.42 (95% CI -0.88 to 0.03), suggesting a moderate but not statistically significant effect. Exercise was not found to be significantly different from cognitive therapy or antidepressants in reducing depression symptoms. The review concludes that while exercise appears to improve depressive symptoms, the evidence is not strong enough to determine its exact effectiveness or the most beneficial type of exercise. Further well-designed trials are needed to provide more accurate estimates of the effects of exercise on depression.This Cochrane review, published in 2010, evaluates the effectiveness of exercise in treating depression. The review includes 28 randomized controlled trials with 907 participants, comparing exercise to no treatment, control interventions, cognitive therapy, bright light therapy, and antidepressants. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) for the effect of exercise versus no treatment was -0.82 (95% CI -1.12 to -0.51), indicating a large clinical effect. However, when only methodologically robust trials with adequate allocation concealment, intention to treat analysis, and blinded outcome assessment were included, the SMD was -0.42 (95% CI -0.88 to 0.03), suggesting a moderate but not statistically significant effect. Exercise was not found to be significantly different from cognitive therapy or antidepressants in reducing depression symptoms. The review concludes that while exercise appears to improve depressive symptoms, the evidence is not strong enough to determine its exact effectiveness or the most beneficial type of exercise. Further well-designed trials are needed to provide more accurate estimates of the effects of exercise on depression.
Reach us at info@study.space