Summary of findings 2. Exercise compared to psychological treatments for adults with depression.
| Exercise compared to cognitive therapy for adults with depression | |||||
| Patient or population: adults with depression Settings: Intervention: Exercise Comparison: cognitive therapy | |||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | No of Participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | Comments | |
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | ||||
| Cognitive therapy | Exercise | ||||
| Symptoms of depression | The mean symptoms of depression in the intervention groups was 0.03 standard deviations lower (0.32 lower to 0.26 higher) | 189 (7 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate1,2,3 | SMD ‐0.03 (95% CI: ‐0.32 to 0.26) | |
| Acceptability of treatment | Study population | 172 (4 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate1 | RR 1.08 (95% CI: 0.95 to 1.24) | |
| 766 per 1000 | 827 per 1000 (728 to 950) | ||||
| Quality of Life | The mean quality of life in the intervention groups was 0 higher (0 to 0 higher) | 0 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate1 | One trial reported changes in the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, a quality of life measure (Gary 2010). There was no statistically significant difference for the physical domain (MD 0.15; 95% CI: ‐7.40 to 7.70) or the mental domain (MD ‐0.09; 95% CI: ‐9.51 to 9.33). | |
| *The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: Confidence interval; RR: Risk ratio; | |||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate. | |||||
1 Lack of blinding of outcome assessors probably increased effect sizes and drop‐out rates were high. Also sequence generation was considered unclear in 7 studies. 2 I² = 0% and P = 0.62, indicated no heterogeneity 3 The studies included were all relevant to the review question, particularly given that all studies had to meet the criteria of the ACSM definition of exercise.