Aerobic exercise and pharmacology treatment in hospitalized patients with depression: literature review

Abstract

Physical exercise has taken presence in the research field as a complement to the treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). Therefore, the objective was to analyse the different interventions of aerobic exercise and pharmacology treatment programs in hospitalized patients with MDD. A bibliographic search was carried out in PubMed, Cochrane Lybrary, Scopus databases from 2000-2019, selecting studies with hospitalized patients aged 18 years, and older diagnosed with MDD under pharmacological treatment with an aerobic exercise intervention. Information was obtained from the selected articles, such as type of exercise and duration, among other characteristics. From 599 articles, ten potential articles were identified, evidencing a positive response from aerobic exercise programs to patients' depressive symptoms. However, the frequency and duration were variable. In conclusion, there is a need to standardize an exercise program in psychiatric hospitals as an adjunctive treatment for MDD.