Physical exercise training as preceding treatment to cognitive behavioral therapy in mild to moderate major depressive disorder: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Many patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) remain untreated or do not respond to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Physical exercise shows antidepressive effects and may serve as an effective augmentation treatment. However, research on combining exercise with CBT is sparse in MDD and underlying mechanisms of exercise are not well understood to date.

Methods: 120 outpatients with MDD were randomized to either a high intensity exercise group (HEX), a low intensity exercise group (LEX), or a waiting list control group (WL). After 12 weeks of exercise training or waiting period, all patients received a manualized CBT.

Results: Seventy-five patients with MDD completed both the exercise program/ waiting period and the CBT. While physical fitness improved in HEX after the exercise program, it did not change in LEX and WL. Depressive symptoms improved in all three groups from baseline to post-CBT and the group by time interaction was not significant. Regression analyses revealed that the amount of fitness improvement during exercise predicted the subsequent CBT response.

Limitations: The dropout rate was relatively high, preparatory CBT sessions during exercise / waiting period may have influenced depressive symptoms, and no patients with severe MDD were included.

Conclusions: High intense physical exercise did not lead to a general enhancement of CBT outcome, but higher increases in physical fitness seem to improve symptom change during CBT. Our results suggest that the implementation of more individually tailored exercise programs could be a promising approach for future research and clinical practice.