RESUMO
Exercise seems to be effective in reducing depression itself, as well as the risk of relapse. This study evaluated whether standardized guided exercise therapy (GET) in comparison with self-organized activity (SOA) is an effective augmentation therapy in depressive adults. A total of 111 inpatients (66.7% women; mean age, 45.05 ± 12.19 years) with major depression were randomly assigned to either GET or SOA. Interventions were performed three times a week, with each session lasting 50 minutes. Both GET and SOA exerted effects even after a short-term application of 6 weeks. GET was superior to SOA in reducing depression symptom severity, as measured by the Hamilton Depression Scale (p = 0.017), specifically improving suicidality (p = 0.028) as well as time (p = 0.003) and severity of diurnal variation (p = 0.027). The findings support the beneficial role of adjuvant GET in patients with major depression as a feasible treatment in a psychiatric short-term inpatient setting.
