Physical exercise and major depressive disorder in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis

The objective of this study was to assess the benefits and potential risks associated with different physical exercise modalities for managing symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder who were not receiving second-generation antidepressants or cognitive behavioral therapy. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted. The search included multiple databases: Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Embase, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Clinical Trials repository, gray literature, and manual search. No language restrictions were applied. Eligible studies involved RCTs of adults with major depressive disorder who were not on antidepressants or receiving psychological therapy, comparing various exercise modalities with second-generation antidepressants or cognitive behavioral therapy, body-mind exercise, or no exercise interventions. Nine RCTs involving 678 adults were analyzed. The pooled results indicated a small clinical effect favoring exercise in reducing depressive symptoms, although the difference was not statistically significant (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI [− 0.58, 0.04], P = 0.09). Subgroup analyses suggested that intervention duration, frequency, intensity, supervision, age, overweight/obesity status, and diagnosis of depression could influence treatment outcomes. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for studies with controls without exercise interventions and a low risk of bias in the domains related to the randomization process and deviations from the intended interventions. The results showed that there are no statistically significant differences when interventions are compared with medication and body-mind exercise (p = 0.12, I(2) = 78%). Furthermore, the analysis showed a moderate effect size favoring exercise, but no statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.05), with high heterogeneity (I(2) = 85%). The evidence quality was generally low to very low, and methodological limitations compromised the certainty of the findings. Adverse events associated with exercise were manageable. The study emphasizes the need for well-designed RCTs to provide clearer insights into the potential benefits of exercise in managing major depressive disorder symptoms. Caution is warranted in interpreting these results due to the limitations of the included studies. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022356741.