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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
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Physical activity in depressed elderly. A systematic review.

Gioia Mura1, Mauro Giovanni Carta

  • 1Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Italy.

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health : CP & EMH
|September 7, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Exercise may help reduce depressive symptoms in older adults. Combining physical activity with antidepressants shows promise for treatment-resistant late-life depression, though more high-quality research is needed.

Keywords:
DepressionExerciseLate lifeMood disorderPhysical activitySystematic review.elderly

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Psychiatry
  • Exercise Science

Background:

  • Exercise is known to alleviate depressive symptoms in both healthy and diagnosed elderly populations.
  • Limited research exists on exercise as an adjunctive treatment with antidepressants for late-life depression.
  • This approach is clinically relevant due to the high prevalence of treatment-resistant depression in older adults and the low cost/safety of exercise.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on exercise's effectiveness in treating depression in the elderly.
  • To specifically evaluate exercise as an adjunct to antidepressant drug therapy.

Main Methods:

  • A literature search was conducted on PubMed/MEDLINE.
  • Keywords included "exercise," "physical activity," "physical fitness," "depressive disorder," "depression," "depressive symptoms," "late life," "old people," and "elderly."
  • Ten randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis.

Main Results:

  • A total of 44 papers were retrieved; 10 met the inclusion criteria for randomized controlled trials.
  • Adequate treatment allocation was present in 4 studies, and intention-to-treat analysis in 6.
  • No studies employed a double-blinded assessment.

Conclusions:

  • Progress in demonstrating exercise efficacy for elderly depression has been slow due to research quality limitations and clinical management challenges.
  • Promising evidence suggests physical activity combined with antidepressants may benefit treatment-resistant late-life depression.
  • Further high-quality research is necessary to solidify these findings.