Table 1.

Summary of studies that compared effects of exercise with “no treatment”

Study	Where published	Participants					Intervention		Main outcome results at end of study† (95% CI)	Study quality
		No	Type	Mean (range or SD) age	% female		Type*	Duration (No of weeks)		Conceal- ment	Intention to treat	Blinded
Singh et al, 199774	Peer reviewed journal, US	32	Volunteers from two community registers of people interested in research	70 (61-88)	63		1. Non-aerobic exercise: progressive resistance training 3 times a week. 2. Control: seminars on health of elderly people twice a week. Depression not discussed in either group.	10	Mean difference in BDI between exercise and control groups −4.0 (−10.1 to 2.1)	Yes	Yes	No
McNeil et al, 199177	Peer reviewed journal, Canada	30	Non-clinically depressed elderly people referred by religious and community organisations	72.5	N/A		1. Exercise: walking near home (accompanied by experimenter) 3 times a week for 20-40 minutes. 2. Control: 1 home visit by psychology student, for “chat,” twice a week. 3. Waiting list control group.	6	Mean difference in BDI between exercise and waiting list control groups −3.6 (−6.6 to −0.6); no significant difference between exercise and social contact groups	No	No	No
Mutrie, 198878	Conference abstract, UK	36	Patients referred by general practitioners in Glasgow	42.1	83		1. Supervised aerobic exercise: 3 sessions of 20 minutes per week. 2. Supervised non-aerobic exercise: 3 sessions of 20 minutes per week. 3. Waiting list control group.	4	Mean difference in BDI between aerobic exercise and control groups −11.9 (−16.7 to −7.1); no significant difference between non-aerobic exercise and control groups	No	No	No
Doyne et al, 198779	Peer reviewed journal, US	57	Volunteers from community, recruited through media	28.5 (4.36)	100		1. Aerobic exercise: supervised running or walking 4 times a week. 2. Supervised strength group: programme 4 times a week. 3. Waiting list control group.	8	Mean difference in BDI between aerobic exercise and waiting list control groups −7.1 (−12.3 to −1.9)	No	No	No
Epstein, 198681	Doctoral dissertation, US	33	Volunteers from community, recruited through media	39.4 (24-60)	92		1. Group running or walking for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week. 2. Cognitive therapy: 1 session of 1.5 hours per week. 3. Waiting list control group.	8	Mean difference in BDI between exercise and control groups −7.3 (−16.6 to 2.0).	No	No	No
Martinsen et al, 198582	Peer reviewed journal, Norway	49	Psychiatric inpatients	40 (17-60)	N/A		1. Aerobic exercise with instructor for 1 hour, 3 times a week. 2. Control group attended occupational therapy while intervention group exercised.	9	Mean difference in BDI between exercise and control groups −10.7 (−16.6 to −4.9)	Yes	No	No
Veale et al, 199275	Peer reviewed journal, UK	83	Psychiatric outpatients or patients at day hospital	35.5 (19-58)	64		1. Group running 3 times a week, plus routine care. 2. Control group: routine care only.	12	Mean difference in BDI between exercise and control group −3.9 (−7.5 to −0.2)	Yes	No	No
Klein et al, 198584	Peer reviewed journal, US	74	Volunteers from community, recruited through media	30.1 (6.72)	72		1. Supervised running twice weekly. 2. Control group: meditation for 1 hour twice weekly. 3. Group cognitive therapy for 2 hours once a week.	12	At 12 weeks: mean difference in symptom checklist score between exercise and control groups 0.2 (−2.3 to 2.7). At 9 months follow up: mean difference in symptom checklist between exercise and control groups 0.04 (−1.96 to 2.04)	No	No	No
McCann and Holmes, 198485	Peer reviewed journal, US	47	Female undergraduate psychology students with BDI ⩾11 (participation in research required as part of the course)	N/A	100		1. Aerobic exercise: group running, jogging, or dancing for 1 hour twice weekly. 2. Placebo: progressive muscle relaxation for 15-20 minutes 4 times a week. 3. Waiting list control group.	10	Only graphical results presented in paper; these showed a benefit of exercise over both placebo and control groups (authors were unable to provide data)	No	No	No
Reuter et al, 198486	Conference abstract, US	18	University students presenting to mental health clinic with depression	N/A	N/A		1. Counselling plus supervised running for at least 20 minutes, 3 times a week. 2. Control group: counselling only.	10	Mean difference in BDI at 8 weeks between exercise and control groups −13.46 (−19.4 to −7.5)	No	No	No
Hess-Homeier, 198187	Doctoral dissertation, US	20	Volunteers from community	N/A	N/A		1. Running or walking with instructor for 30 minutes 4 times a week. 2. Cognitive therapy: 1 session of 1 hour and 2 of half an hour per week. 3. Waiting list control group.	8	Mean difference in BDI between exercise and control groups −6.4 (−15.5 to 2.7)	No	No	No

BDI=Beck depression inventory score. ^*Nos refer to groups. ^†Except where otherwise indicated.