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Exercise Intervention Options for Depression During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic
32 Pages Posted: 22 May 2020
More...Abstract
Background: During the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic, depression was common in different populations, exercise interventions are valued as one of the most widely prescribed interventions for early depression. The efficacy of different exercise interventions is unclear, so it is hard to suggest which exercise intervention is more effective.
Objectives: To provide effective exercise interventions for people confined to their homes by social isolation measures during the COVID-19 epidemic, so they can cope with depression timely. Method A network of meta-analysis was conducted to systematically review and compare the efficacy of seven exercise interventions for depression. Randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of seven exercise interventions to usual care were included. A Bayesian model was conducted to combine both direct and indirect evidences into one single comparison. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.
Results: The result of direct meta-analysis of this review indicated exercise interventions overall had a significantly lower mean depression scores (SMD=-1.13) when compared with usual care. When comparied with badminton intervention, Yoga (SMD=-7.7, 95%CI -14 to -0.93) and Taichi (SMD=-9.4, 95%CI -16 to -2.7) can significantly lower scores for depressive symptoms. The rank of seven exercise interventions with respect to efficiently decrease symptom of depressed undergraduates was Taichi > Yoga >Dance > Run> Volleyball > Basketball> Badminton, respectively.
Conclusions: Regular exercise interventions helped reduce depressive symptoms in those affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Taichi was proved to be the most efficacy intervention among the comparions, and Yoga showed the second most effectiveness to alleviate depressive symptoms, and dance ranks the third, followed by run, volleyball, basketball, badminton respectively.
Funding Statement: This work was supported by Education fund of Hunan province (Number:18B409)
Declaration of Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Keywords: exercise intervention, depression, COVID-19
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation