| Methods |
RCT (parallel group) |
| Participants |
Psychiatric hospital inpatients
Mean age 40 (range 17 ‐ 60)
Data on sex distribution not available
N = 49 |
| Interventions |
1. Aerobic exercise with instructor for 1 hour 3 times a week for 9 weeks at 50 ‐ 70% of maximum aerobic capacity (n = 28 randomised)
2. Control group attended occupational therapy whilst intervention group exercised (n = 21 randomised) |
| Outcomes |
Beck Depression Inventory |
| Notes |
Outcome assessment not blind
Analysis not intention‐to‐treat |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Block randomisation with respect to age |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Categorised by Lawlor and Hopker as low risk |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
participants |
Unclear risk |
Participants not blind |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
those delivering intervention |
Unclear risk |
Those delivering the intervention were not blind |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
outcome assessors |
High risk |
Self report BDI |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
6 participants dropped out, leaving 43 who completed the study |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Unclear risk |
Prespecified outcome measures were reported, but no protocol |
| Other bias |
Unclear risk |
unclear |
