{"title":"The impact of aerobic exercise on depression in young people: A meta regression and meta-analysis","authors":"Qiushi Yang, Junli Wang, Yiyaochen Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102803","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This systematic review aimed to 1) update the existing evidence on the antidepressant effects of aerobic exercise (AE) in youth. 2) Investigate any potential dose‒response relationships between AE interventions and depressive symptom reduction. 3) Provide evidence-based insights to inform future research and clinical depression treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Employing the PRISMA and PERSiST guidelines, a comprehensive search across nine databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, SportDiscus, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, and CNKI) yielded a total of 782 relevant studies. Following rigorous selection criteria, 26 eligible studies (comprising 22 different samples) were included in the analysis, featuring a combined sample size of 1308 participants. The meta-analysis was conducted via R.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>AE notably decreased depressive symptoms among youth [<em>g</em> = −0.92; 95% CI (−1.16, −0.69); <em>p</em> < 0.01]. Significant dose‒response relationships were observed across age groups [<em>β</em> = −0.06; 95% CI (−0.12, 0.00), <em>p</em> < 0.05], the intensity [<em>β</em> = −0.03; 95% CI (−0.06, 0.00); <em>p</em> < 0.05], and the duration ^ 2 [<em>β</em> = 0.001, 95% CI (0.001, 0.002), <em>p</em> < 0.05] of the AE intervention.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Aerobic exercise interventions can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms in youth. A moderate-intensity AE program, lasting 25–40 min and conducted three times a week for 9–15 weeks, can increase alleviation of depression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102803"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029225000020","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective
This systematic review aimed to 1) update the existing evidence on the antidepressant effects of aerobic exercise (AE) in youth. 2) Investigate any potential dose‒response relationships between AE interventions and depressive symptom reduction. 3) Provide evidence-based insights to inform future research and clinical depression treatment.
Methods
Employing the PRISMA and PERSiST guidelines, a comprehensive search across nine databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, SportDiscus, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, and CNKI) yielded a total of 782 relevant studies. Following rigorous selection criteria, 26 eligible studies (comprising 22 different samples) were included in the analysis, featuring a combined sample size of 1308 participants. The meta-analysis was conducted via R.
Results
AE notably decreased depressive symptoms among youth [g = −0.92; 95% CI (−1.16, −0.69); p < 0.01]. Significant dose‒response relationships were observed across age groups [β = −0.06; 95% CI (−0.12, 0.00), p < 0.05], the intensity [β = −0.03; 95% CI (−0.06, 0.00); p < 0.05], and the duration ^ 2 [β = 0.001, 95% CI (0.001, 0.002), p < 0.05] of the AE intervention.
Conclusions
Aerobic exercise interventions can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms in youth. A moderate-intensity AE program, lasting 25–40 min and conducted three times a week for 9–15 weeks, can increase alleviation of depression.
期刊介绍:
Psychology of Sport and Exercise is an international forum for scholarly reports in the psychology of sport and exercise, broadly defined. The journal is open to the use of diverse methodological approaches. Manuscripts that will be considered for publication will present results from high quality empirical research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, commentaries concerning already published PSE papers or topics of general interest for PSE readers, protocol papers for trials, and reports of professional practice (which will need to demonstrate academic rigour and go beyond mere description). The CONSORT guidelines consort-statement need to be followed for protocol papers for trials; authors should present a flow diagramme and attach with their cover letter the CONSORT checklist. For meta-analysis, the PRISMA prisma-statement guidelines should be followed; authors should present a flow diagramme and attach with their cover letter the PRISMA checklist. For systematic reviews it is recommended that the PRISMA guidelines are followed, although it is not compulsory. Authors interested in submitting replications of published studies need to contact the Editors-in-Chief before they start their replication. We are not interested in manuscripts that aim to test the psychometric properties of an existing scale from English to another language, unless new validation methods are used which address previously unanswered research questions.