Effectiveness of Physical Exercise in Older Adults With Mild to Moderate Depression

The Article in Brief

Effectiveness of Physical Exercise in Older Adults With Mild to Moderate Depression

Jesus Lopez-Torres Hidalgo and colleagues 

Background Depression is the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric disorder among older adults, with 8% to 16% of older patients presenting with clinically significant depressive symptoms. Researchers in Spain conducted a randomized clinical trial of 347 older adults with mild to moderate depression, comparing the effectiveness of physical exercise and antidepressants as treatment methods. Study participants were assigned to either a group engaged in supervised physical exercise or a group that received antidepressant treatment by their general practitioners.

What This Study Found Depressive symptoms were not significantly different after one month between the two groups. However, after three and six months, the number of people who showed improvement was significantly higher in the antidepressant group. The authors note that the number of participants who withdrew from the study was higher in the physical activity group, while more adverse side-effects were reported in the group treated with antidepressants.

Implications              

• Both interventions, specifically antidepressant treatments and physical exercise carried out in group sessions, are capable of reducing depressive symptomatology among persons over the age of 65, diagnosed in primary care with mild-to-moderate depressive disorder. Although the resulting improvement in depressive symptoms is initially similar in both treatment options, antidepressant drug therapy proves superior in the medium term. Despite the fact that the appearance of adverse effects was significantly higher in the group treated with antidepressant drugs, both interventions were found to be satisfactory by the participants and impacted very favorably on their self-perceived health status.