Exercise helps keep depression at bay for children, teens

Physical activity interventions are beneficial to children’s mental health, with a recent study suggesting that working out helps reduce depressive symptoms in both children and adolescents.

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that evaluated the effects of physical activity interventions on depressive symptoms in the paediatric population as compared with a control condition. They searched multiple online databases for relevant literature and used Hedges g to synthesize data. Meta-regressions and sensitivity analyses were also performed to substantiate the overall results.

A total of 21 studies, which comprised an overall population of 2,441 participants (mean age 14 years, 47.0 percent boys), were included in the meta-analysis. The primary endpoint was depressive symptoms, measured using validated depression scales after the intervention and at follow-up.

Pooled data showed that compared with the control condition, physical activity interventions were associated with a marked reduction in depressive symptoms (g, −0.29, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], −0.47 to −0.10; p=0.004).

Meanwhile, follow-up data from four studies showed no differences in the primary endpoint between the physical activity and control groups (g, −0.39, 95 percent CI, −1.01 to 0.24; p=0.14). There was moderate heterogeneity detected across the studies (Q, 53.92; p<0.001; I2, 62.9 percent).

Factors such as total physical activity volume, study design, participant health status, and allocation and/or assessment concealment did not moderate the main treatment effect. However, secondary analyses indicated that intervention (ie, <12 weeks in duration, 3 times per week, unsupervised) and participant characteristics (ie, aged ≥13 years, with a mental illness and/or depression diagnosis) might factor in the overall treatment effect.

More investigation is needed to elucidate the association with physical activity parameters such as frequency, duration, and supervision of the sessions.