Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36796860›Full record

ReviewBritish journal of sports medicine2023

Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews.

Ben Singh, Timothy Olds, Rachel Curtis, Dorothea Dumuid, Rosa Virgara, Amanda Watson, Kimberley Szeto, Edward O'Connor, Ty Ferguson, Emily Eglitis and 3 more

3 registry-linked trialsOpen access · hybridAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in British journal of sports medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 493 papers, 32 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
493citing papers in PubMed, 32 pooled it
140.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT06429423 nacompletednot on this map

Acute Psychological and Physiological Exercise Effects Among Patients With Stress-related Exhaustion Disorder. Role of Exercise Intensity.

TypeinterventionalSponsorVictoria BlomRan2023 to 2024Enrolled60ConditionsExhaustion, SyndromeArmsAcute exercise low intensity, Acute exercise moderate intensity
NCT07236424 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effectiveness of Short-term Supervised Group Exercise Therapy, Walking and Education on Mental Health, Quality of Life and Mobility in Elderly Residents of Nursing Homes

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of MostarRan2025 to 2026Enrolled44ConditionsMental Health Care, Depression Anxiety Disorder, Quality of LifeArmsPhysiotherapy
NCT07407829 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Step by Step Back - A Feasibility Study of a CBT-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Stress-Related Exhaustion

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Swedish School of Sport and Health SciencesRan2025 to 2026Enrolled20ConditionsExhaustion Disorder, Stress-Related DisordersArmsCBT/ACT-based psychologist-delivered physical activity program
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

493 citing papers in PubMed, 32 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 802 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. Interventions to Reduce Screen Time in Preschool-Aged Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
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433 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ben SinghAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia ben.singh@unisa.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7227-2406
Timothy OldsAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Rachel CurtisAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Dorothea DumuidAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3057-0963
Rosa VirgaraAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Amanda WatsonAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Kimberley SzetoAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Edward O'ConnorAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Ty FergusonAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Emily EglitisAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Aaron MiatkeAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Catherine Em SimpsonAllied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Carol MaherHealth and Use of Time (HUT) Group, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
University of South Australia · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo synthesise the evidence on the effects of physical activity on symptoms of depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adult populations.

designUmbrella review. DATA SOURCES: Twelve electronic databases were searched for eligible studies published from inception to 1 January 2022. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Systematic reviews with meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials designed to increase physical activity in an adult population and that assessed depression, anxiety or psychological distress were eligible. Study selection was undertaken in duplicate by two independent reviewers.

resultsNinety-seven reviews (1039 trials and 128 119 participants) were included. Populations included healthy adults, people with mental health disorders and people with various chronic diseases. Most reviews (n=77) had a critically low A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews score. Physical activity had medium effects on depression (median effect size=-0.43, IQR=-0.66 to -0.27), anxiety (median effect size=-0.42, IQR=-0.66 to -0.26) and psychological distress (effect size=-0.60, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.42), compared with usual care across all populations. The largest benefits were seen in people with depression, HIV and kidney disease, in pregnant and postpartum women, and in healthy individuals. Higher intensity physical activity was associated with greater improvements in symptoms. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions diminished with longer duration interventions. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Physical activity is highly beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress across a wide range of adult populations, including the general population, people with diagnosed mental health disorders and people with chronic disease. Physical activity should be a mainstay approach in the management of depression, anxiety and psychological distress. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021292710.

Indexed as

DepressionMental DisordersAdultAnxietyChronic DiseaseFemaleHealth StatusHumansPregnancyQuality of LifeSystematic Reviews as Topicanxietydepressionexercisephysical activitystress, physiological

Identifiers

PMID36796860
PMCPMC10579187
OpenAlexW4321054304

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.