title: Pragmatic randomised controlled trial of preferred intensity exercise in women living with depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exercise may be effective in treating depression, but trials testing its effect in depressed women are rare.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effect of exercise of preferred intensity with exercise of prescribed intensity in thirty-eight women living with depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Pragmatic RCT of 12 sessions of exercise at preferred intensity compared with 12 sessions at prescribed intensity. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES), General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12), heart rate (HR), Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE), Quality of Life in Depression Scale (QLDS), Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MDSPSS), SF12 Health Survey and exercise participation rates were compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention participants had statistically better BDI (t = 2.638, df = 36, p = 0.006, 95% mean (SD) 26.5 (10.7), CI-20.4 to -2.7, d = 0.86), GHQ-12 (t = 3.284, df = 36, p = 0.001, mean (SD) 8.3 (3.7) 95% CI -6.5 to -1.5, d = 1.08), RSES (t = 2.045, df = 36, p = 0.024, mean (SD) 11.3 (5.8), 95% CI 0.3 -6.4, d = 0.25), QLDS (t = 1.902, df = 36, p = 0.0325, mean (SD) 15.5 (7.9), 95% CI -12.2 -0.4, d = 0.27) RPE scores (t = 1.755, df = 36, p = 0.0475, mean (SD) 9.2 (3.2), 95% CI -.5 - 5.2, d = 0.77) and attended more exercise sessions (t = 1.781, df = 36, p = 0.0415, number of sessions 8 (65%), 95% CI-0.3 -4.8, d = 0.58). SF-12, MSPSS and HR did not differ significantly between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exercise of preferred intensity improves psychological, physiological and social outcomes, and exercise participation rates in women living with depression.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00546221.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK. Patrick.Callaghan@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Callaghan
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morres
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carter
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom