Trial reportBMC psychiatry2019
EFFORT-D: results of a randomised controlled trial testing the EFFect of running therapy on depression.
Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Step away from depression-results from a multicenter randomized clinical trial with a pedometer intervention during and after inpatient treatment of depression.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2024Trial
- Efficacy of aerobic exercise as a combination therapy for depression compared to standardized therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Annals of general psychiatry · 2026Review
- Changes in Exercise Performance in Patients During a 6-Week Inpatient Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program and Associated Effects on Depressive Symptoms.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2024Article
- Article
- The effect of physical fitness on psychological health: evidence from Chinese university students.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Introducing Braining-physical exercise as adjunctive therapy in psychiatric care: a retrospective cohort study of a new method.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
- Cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular risk among in-patients with depression compared to healthy controls.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Association between physical activity and comorbid anxiety/depression in 46 low- and middle-income countries.Journal of affective disorders · 2023Article
- A Scoping Review of the Relationship between Running and Mental Health.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Results of a randomised controlled trial testing the EFFect Of Running Therapy on Depression.
backgroundThis randomised controlled trial explored the anti-depressive and health effects of add-on exercise (running therapy or Nordic walking) in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
methodsPatients were recruited at three specialised mental health care institutions. In the intervention group exercise was planned two times a week during 6 months, the control group received care as usual. Observer-blinded measurements included Hamilton-17 depression scores and several health and fitness parameters. Submaximal bicycle-tests were performed at inclusion, 3, 6 and 12 months. The effects of exercise were assessed by effect size, intention-to-treat and analysis per protocol using General Linear Models (GLM) with time x group interactions.
resultsIn total, 183 patients were assessed for eligibility and 135 were excluded (40% of the potential participants declined to participate mainly due to a lack of time and motivation). Together with a drop-out of 55% at 6 months, this reduced the power of the study severely. As a result, statistical analysis was performed only on the first 3 months of the study. Data were ultimately analysed from 46 patients, of which 24 were in the intervention group. Significantly more women were in the intervention group, and depression and fitness were higher in the control group. Participants showed 2-3 points less depression on average after 3 months. However, the GLM showed no effect on depression (Cohen's d < 0.2, F = .13, p = .73) in both the intention-to-treat and per protocol analyses. However, large effect sizes (Cohen's d > 0.8) were found for aerobic capacity (VO
conclusionsIn this selective and relative small clinical population with MDD, an anti-depressive effect of the exercise intervention could not be measured and is also unlikely due to the very low effect size. An integrated lifestyle intervention will probably be more effective than a single add-on exercise intervention. However, significantly increased fitness levels may contribute to the alleviation of current cardio-metabolic risk factors or prevention of these in the future.
trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register (NTR): NTR1894 on July 2nd 2009.
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