Exercise for depression

Elisa Assirelli, Giuseppe Filardo, Erminia Mariani*, ElisavetaKon*, Alice Roffi, F. Vaccaro, Maurilio Marcacci*, Andrea Facchini*, Lia Pulsatelli

Background
Depression is a common and important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Depression is commonly treated with antidepressants and/or psychological therapy, but some people may prefer alternative approaches such as exercise. There are a number of theoretical reasons why exercise may improve depression. This is an update of an earlier review first published in 2009.

Objectives
To determine the effectiveness of exercise in the treatment of depression in adults compared with no treatment or a comparator intervention.

Search methods
We searched the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Review Group’s Controlled Trials Register (CCDANCTR) to 13 July 2012. This register includes relevant randomised controlled trials from the following bibliographic databases: The Cochrane Library (all years); MEDLINE (1950 to date); EMBASE (1974 to date) and PsycINFO (1967 to date). We also searched www.controlledtrials. com, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. No date or language restrictions were applied to the search. We conducted an additional search of the CCDANCTR up to 1st March 2013 and any potentially eligible trials not already included are listed as ’awaiting classification’.

Selection criteria
Randomised controlled trials in which exercise (defined according to American College of Sports Medicine criteria) was compared to standard treatment, no treatment or a placebo treatment, pharmacological treatment, psychological treatment or other active treatment in adults (aged 18 and over) with depression, as defined by trial authors.We included cluster trials and those that randomised individuals. We excluded trials of postnatal depression.