title: Exercise and severe major depression: effect on symptom severity and quality of life at discharge in an inpatient cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exercise is a potential treatment for depression. However, few studies have evaluated the role of adjunct exercise in the treatment of severely major depressed inpatients. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of add-on exercise on the usual treatment of severely depressed inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty participants were randomized to an exercise (exercise + usual treatment) or a control (usual treatment) group. Twenty-five patients were randomly allocated to each group. The participants in the exercise group performed three sessions per week throughout the hospitalization period, with a goal dose of 16.5 kcal/kg/week plus the usual pharmacological treatment. Depressive symptoms and the Quality of Life (QoL) of the participants were assessed at the baseline, the second week, and discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant group × time interaction was found for depressive symptoms and the physical and psychological domains of QoL. Differences between groups occurred at the second week and discharge with respect to depressive symptoms and the physical and psychological domains of QoL. There was no difference in the remission rate at discharge (48% and 32% for the exercise and control group, respectively). An NNT of 6.25 was found. No significant baseline characteristics predict remission at discharge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Add-on exercise is an efficacious treatment for severely depressed inpatients, improving their depressive symptoms and QoL. Initial acceptance of exercise remains a challenge.
authors.affiliation: Post-graduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Clinics Hospital of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Electronic address: felipe.schuch@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Schuch
authors.affiliation: Post-graduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Clinics Hospital of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos-Moreno
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Clinics Hospital of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borowsky
authors.affiliation: Post-graduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Clinics Hospital of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.affiliation: Post-graduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Clinics Hospital of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Post-graduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Clinics Hospital of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Fleck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Depression; Exercise; Quality of life