Exercise as Treatment for Adolescent Depression: A Literature Review

This literature review synthesizes findings from five articles exploring the efficacy of exercise as a treatment for adolescent depression. The review highlights that clinicians generally hold positive attitudes towards exercise as a treatment modality, but often lack the specific exercise knowledge to prescribe it effectively. Studies, including intervention studies, indicate that intense aerobic exercise can reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents. Meta-analyses reveal that exercise, often in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy, yields significant positive outcomes. The articles also emphasize the need for further research, particularly regarding the design of exercise-based interventions and the assessment of their long-term effects. The review underscores the importance of non-medication approaches to managing depression and the potential of exercise as a valuable component of comprehensive treatment plans.

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Literature Review

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Article 1
Radovic, S., Melvin, G. A., & Gordon, M. S. (2017). Clinician perspectives and practices
regarding the use of exercise in the treatment of adolescent depression. Journal of
sports sciences, 1-7.
Evidences have suggested an impact on the role of exercise in acting as an effective
treatment method for managing symptoms of depression among the adolescents. With this
view in mind, those involved in the management process can play a crucial role. The
clinicians have played a key role in ensuring exercise therapy is entrenched in the medication
process. This survey study alluded that clinicians had positives attitudes on exercise as an
important treatment among the adolescence. However in facilitating this, clinicians were
faced with the barrier of prescribing exercise as a form of treatment and showed that they
preferred an exercise professional to prescribe as they lack adequate knowledge on exercise
with regard to adolescent patients. However they had positive attitude towards involving
exercise as a form of treatment for managing depression.
Article 2
Dopp, R. R., Mooney, A. J., Armitage, R., & King, C. (2012). Exercise for adolescents with
depressive disorders: a feasibility study. Depression research and treatment, 2012.
Adolescence stage is characterized by the increasing rates of depressive symptoms
and decrease in the level of aerobic exercise. The relationship of exercise and clinical
management is key in assessing its significance on management of depression among the
adolescents. Intervention study on 13 adolescents showed that when depressed adolescents
are subjected to intense aerobic exercise for 12 weeks have an impact on the clinical
management of the depression. Results indicate that there was decrease in the depressive
symptoms associated when the adolescents are subjected to intense physical exercise.
Article 3
Bailey AP et al, (2016). Treating depression with physical activity in adolescents and young
adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Psychol Med 2017 Oct 10; [e-pub]. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717002653)
Behavioral therapy associated with cognitive growth has shown to be effective in
management of adolescent depression. A meta analysis to investigate on the effectiveness of
exercise has been conducted among 771 patients with depression aged between 16-26 years

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assessing randomized controlled trials showed that cognitive behavior therapy and
medication approaches are effective tool for young adult adolescence, however not all
patients are adhering to the treatment. Large effect size on participants was found compared
to control conditions at -0.82; 95% interval. Effect size did not differ on the type of control
group, patient age, and severity of depression and intensity of exercises.
Article 4
Dunn, A. L., & Weintraub, P. (2008). Exercise in the prevention and treatment of adolescent
depression: a promising but little researched intervention. American journal of
lifestyle medicine, 2(6), 507-518.
With the increase in the number of treatments related to adolescent depression the
response rate is still quiet low. The need for development of more responsive treatments is
essential in managing depression. In this view exercises have been found to offer next
treatment solution to depression among adolescence. Exercise can be used as a
immunotherapy or in combination with other treatment regimes available. This study has
analyzed design flaws and trails on management of adolescent depression. The study
recommends that studies relating to exercise treatment on depression be undertaken. It
suggests that future treatments of depression should possess a state of the art cognitive
behavioral therapy in order to accurately measure the efficiency and health effects of
exercise.
Article 5
Hughes, C. W., Trivedi, M. H., Cleaver, J., Greer, T. L., Emslie, G. J., Kennard, B., …
Barnes, C. (2009). DATE: Depressed adolescents treated with exercise: Study rationale
and design for a pilot study. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 2(2), 76–85.
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2009.09.005
This article postulates that the importance for non medication for depression is of
essence. This study evaluated the use of standardized aerobic exercise for the treatment of
depression. It assessed on the development of an intervention which can motivate sedentary
depressed adolescence towards exercise base regime. The findings suggest that there is more
for the development of rationale and design to evaluate efficacy of aerobic exercise on
depression. This study has proposed various interventions and approaches to be used in
assessing such trials on exercise.