Author, first Country of origin | Participants | Severity of depression at baseline | N at baseline (included in trial efficacy analysis) | Type of intervention | Frequency | Duration |
Klein et al 86 USA | Outpatients Mean age: 30 years (SD 7) 72% female | SCL-D: 2.4 (SD 1) | 50 (22) | Aerobic exercise: supervised individual running Control group: supervised meditation in groups | Two sessions per week Control group: one session per week | 12 weeks |
Martinsen et al
79 Norway | Inpatients Mean age: 40 years (range 17–60) Distribution of sex not reported | BDI: 28.0 (SD 9) | 49 (43) | Aerobic exercise: supervised group exercise. Control group: occupational therapy | Three sessions per week Control group: three sessions per week | 9 weeks |
Epstein64 USA | Outpatients Mean age: 39 years (range 24–60) (NR) % female | BDI: 23.4 (SD 7) | 21 (17) | Aerobic exercise: supervised group exercise. Control group: waitlist control | Three sessions per week | 8 weeks |
Doyne et al
43 USA | Outpatients Mean age: 29 years (SD 4) 100% female | HAM-D17: 13.0 (SD 7) | 52 (25) | Aerobic exercise OR weightlifting: supervised individual exercise. Control group: waiting list | Four sessions per week | 8 weeks |
Veale et al
62 UK | Outpatients Mean age: 35 years (range 19–58) 64% female | BDI: 24.5 (SD 6) | 83 (65) | Aerobic exercise: Supervised group exercise. Control group: standard treatment from psychiatric services | Three sessions per week | 12 weeks |
Singh et al 60 USA | Outpatients recruited from a register of volunteers Mean age: 71 years (SD 1) | BDI: 19.9 (SD 2.3) | 32 (32) |
Progressive resistance training: supervised group exercise Control group: attended seminars on health | Three sessions per week Control group: two sessions per week | 10 weeks |
Blumenthal et al
82 USA | Outpatients Mean age: 57 years (SD 7) 71.8% female | HAM-D17: Not reported | 103 (103) | Aerobic exercise: supervised exercise plus antidepressant medication (sertraline). Control group: antidepressant medication (sertraline) | Three sessions per week | 16 weeks |
Mather et al
52 UK | Outpatients Treatment resistant Mean age: 65 years (range 53–91) 69% female | HAM-D17: 17.1 (SD 6) | 86 (85) | Mixed aerobic and non-aerobic exercise: supervised group exercise. Control group: attended health seminars | Two sessions per week Control group: two seminars per week | 10 weeks |
Dunn et al
45 USA | Outpatients Mean age: 36 years (SD 6) 75% female | HAM-D17: 19.4 (SD 2) | 80 (80) | Aerobic exercise: individually supervised exercise with (1) low energy expenditure (EE) OR (2) high EE OR (3) low EE OR (4) high EE Control group: flexibility exercise | Group (1) and (2): three sessions per week Group (3) and (4): five sessions per week Control group: three sessions per week | 12 weeks |
Singh et al
58 Australia | Outpatients Mean age: 69 (SD 6) 55% female | HAM-D17: 18.9 (SD 4.2) | 60 (54) |
Progressive resistance training (PRT): (1) Low-intensity PRT OR (2) high-intensity PRT. Control group: standard GP care | Group (1) and (2): three sessions per week | 8 weeks |
Pilu et al
55 Italy | Outpatients Treatment resistant Age between 40 and 60 years 100% female | HAM-D17: 19.7 (SD 6) | 30 (30) |
Resistance exercise: supervised group sessions Control group: standard treatment | Two sessions per week | 32 weeks |
Viera et al 63 Brazil | Outpatients Mean age 43.66 years (SD NR) 100% female | HAM-D21: 31.9 (SD 3) | 18 (18) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised water aerobics Control group: standard GP care | Two sessions per week | 12 weeks |
Blumenthal and Babyak39 USA | Outpatients Mean age: 52 years (SD 8) 75.8% female | HAM-D17: 16.7 (SD 4) | 153 (153) |
Aerobic exercise: (1) supervised group exercise OR (2) home-based exercise Control group: placebo medication | (1) and (2): Three sessions per week | 16 weeks |
Krogh et al
21 Denmark | Outpatients Mean age: 39 years (SD 9) 74% female | HAM-D17: 17.8 (SD 4) | 165 (165) |
Exercise: (1) aerobic supervised group exercise OR (2) supervised group resistance training Control group: relaxation and stretching exercise | (1)and (2): Two sessions per week Control group: two sessions per week | 16 weeks |
Mota-Pereira et al
53 Portugal | Outpatients Treatment resistant Mean age: 47.5 years (SD 3) 65.5% female | HAM-D17: 17.1 (SD 3) | 33 (29) |
Aerobic exercise: home-based exercise+supervised Control group: attention control | Four home-based sessions/week One supervised session/week Control group: one supervised session/week | 12 weeks |
Krogh et al
22 Denmark | Outpatients Mean age: 42 years (SD 11) 67% female | HAM-D17: 18.9 (SD 4) | 115 (115) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised group exercise Control group: supervised stretching exercise in groups | Three sessions per week Control group: Three sessions per week | 12 weeks |
Chalder et al
40 UK | Outpatients Mean age: 40 years (SD 13) 66% female | BDI: 32.1 (SD 9) | 361 (361) |
Exercise: participants received individually tailored support and encouragement to engage in physical activity. Control group: standard GP care | Individual | 16 weeks |
Fang et al
73 China | Inpatients Mean age: 44 years (SD 14) 66.9% female | HAM-D24: 29.2 (SD 5) | 90 (90) |
Aerobic exercise: groups 1 and 2 had supervised group exercise, high intensity Control group: 15 min stretching | Groups 1 and 2 had 3 and 5 sessions per week, respectively Control group: three sessions per week | 6 weeks |
Huipeng and Xiaohui70 China | Inpatients Mean age: 30 years (SD 5) 100% female | HAM-D17: 28 (SD 5) | 68 (68) |
Aerobic exercise: jogging Control group: standard treatment | Five sessions per week | 6 weeks |
Ho et al
47 2014 Hong Kong | Inpatients Mean age: 46 years (SD 12) 67.3% female | MADRS: 19 (10) | 52 (52) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised exercise Control group: 10 min stretching | Five sessions per week | 3 weeks |
Danielsson et al
65 Sweden | Outpatients Mean age: 45 years (SD 13) 76% female | MADRS: 24.0 (SD 5) | 42 (42) |
Mixed aerobic and non-aerobic exercise: first 2 weeks individual supervised exercise then supervised group exercise Control group: one session with advice on physical activity | Two sessions per week | 10 weeks |
Pfaff et al
54 Australia | Outpatients Mean age: 61 years (SD 8) 63% female | MADRS: 21.3 (SD NR) | 200 (200) |
Resistance exercise: supervised home-based exercise Control group: standard GP care | Three sessions per week | 12 weeks |
Guifeng 72 China | Inpatients Mean age: 33 years (SD 14) 70% female | HAM-D24: 25.9 (SD 4) | 70 (70) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised group exercise Control group: standard treatment | Five sessions per week | 8 weeks |
Junchin et al
71 China | Inpatients Mean age: 28 years (SD 7) 61% female | HAM-D24: 25.8 (SD 3) | 70 (70) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised aerobic exercise of the patients’ own choice Control group: standard treatment | Five sessions per week | 8 weeks |
Schuch et al
84 Brazil | Inpatients Mean age: 40 years (SD 11) 74% female | HAM-D17: 26.7 (SD 2) | 50 (50) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised individual exercise. Control group: standard treatment | Three sessions per week | 2 weeks |
Kerling et al
49 Germany | Inpatients Mean age: 43 years (SD 10) | MADRS: 24.0 (SD 9) | 42 (42) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised exercise Control group: standard treatment | Three sessions per week | 6 weeks |
Belvederi et al
83 Italy | Outpatients Mean age: 75 years (SD 6) 71% female | HAM-D17: 20.1 (SD 3) | 121 (121) |
Aerobic exercise: (1) sertraline+supervised non-progressive exercise OR (2) sertraline+supervised progressive aerobic exercise Control group: sertraline | Three sessions per week | 24 weeks |
Carneiro et al
66 Portugal | Outpatients Mean age: 50.16 years (SD 12) 100% female | BDI: 48.8 (SD 10) | 26 (19) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised exercise Control group: standard treatment | Three sessions per week | 16 weeks |
Doose et al
68 Germany | Outpatients Mean age: 47.9 years (SD 11) 63% female | HAM-D17: 14.2 (SD 3) | 46 (46) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised aerobic exercise Control group: standard treatment | Three sessions per week | 8 weeks |
Pentecost et al
77 UK | Outpatients Mean age: 44.4 years (SD 14) 48% female | PHQ-9: 16.5 (SD 4) | 60 (44) |
Exercise: behavioural activation plus physical activity promotion Control group: behavioural activation | Individual | 12 weeks |
Salehi et al
69 Iran | Inpatients Mean age: 30.0 years (SD 6) 35% female | HAM-D21: 43.4 (SD 8) | 40 (40) |
Aerobic exercise+ECT: supervised aerobic exercise Control group: ECT | Three sessions per weeks Control group 3 ECTs per week | 4 weeks |
Legrand et al
67 France | Inpatients Mean age: 46.9 years (SD 13) 67% female | BDI: 36.0 (SD 6) | 24 (24) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised aerobic exercise Control group: standard treatment | 10 sessions in 10 consecutive days | 10 days |
Euteneuer et al
75 Germany | Outpatients Mean age: 37.1 years (SD 12) 52% female | BDI: 27.2 (SD 9) | 71 (68) |
Exercise: CBT+PA promotion Control group: CBT+low energy activities | Individual | 16 weeks |
Olson et al
74 Ireland | Outpatients Mean age: 21.1 years (SD 2) 80% female | BDI: 24.2 (SD 12) | 50 (30) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised aerobic exercise Control group: stretching exercise | Three sessions per week Three sessions per week | 8 weeks |
Patten et al
76 USA | Outpatients Mean age: 37.5 years (SD 11) 100% female | PHQ-9: 11.7 (SD 5) | 30 (26) |
Aerobic exercise: supervised aerobic exercise Control group: health education | Three sessions per week | 12 weeks |
BDI, Beck’s Depression Inventory; CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy; ECT, electroconvulsive therapy; EE, energy expenditure; GP, general practitioner; HAM-D17: Hamilton Depression Scale, 17 items; MADRS, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale; NR, not reported; PA, physical activity; PHQ-9: Patient Health Questionnaire; PRT, progressive resistance training; SCL-D, Symptom Check List, depression subscale.