Reacción a "Physical exercise is similar to psychological therapy for the treatment of depression"

This updated Cochrane review provides robust evidence that exercise can moderately reduce depressive symptoms in adults compared to no treatment or control interventions, with effects appearing comparable to psychological therapies or antidepressants in the limited direct comparisons available.

This aligns with prior systematic reviews and meta-analyses, strengthening the case for exercise as an evidence-based option in depression management, though long-term data remains limited (this is common for other treatments also).

In clinical practice, this supports integrating exercise into treatment plans for depression, given its favourable adverse event profile compared to pharmacological side effects.

Ultimately, for people with depression, the evidence indicates that exercise may offer similar short-term benefits to therapy or medication for some, but decisions on switching or combining approaches should be made collaboratively with healthcare providers, considering individual circumstances. However, it is time for the health service to adapt and ensure that exercise is part of the standard toolkit of options for people with depression.