Abstract

VILLEGAS SALAZAR, Felipe. Exercise and Depression.. rev.colomb.psiquiatr. [online]. 2010, vol.39, n.4, pp.732-748. ISSN 0034-7450.

Introduction: In recent years, exercise has been increasingly prescribed as a therapeutic alternative in the treatment of depressive disorders. Nevertheless, its therapeutic efficacy has not been systematically evaluated. Objective: To systematically review the evidence regarding the therapeutic efficacy of exercise in the treatment of depressive disorders in humans. Methods: A search of the literature was performed in Medline using the following MeSH terms: exercise, depression, and the connector AND. Secondary sources of literature were included too. Search results were collected and reviewed independently and systematically by trained clines. Results: There is sufficient evidence supporting a bidirectional association between sedentarism and depressive disorders. Thus it is biologically plausible that exercise may have antidepressive effects. However, the evidence regarding its therapeutic efficacy alone is inconclusive. Conclusions: Exercise may improve specific symptoms in subjects with major depression. Although inconclusive, evidence suggests that exercise may be useful as a complementary therapy in the treatment of depressive disorders.

Keywords : Depression; motor activity; exercise..

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