SynthesisBMC public health2025
Effectiveness of different exercise interventions on depressive symptoms among college students: a network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Dance-Based Interventions for Mental Health: A Comprehensive and Quality-Sensitive Umbrella Review of Definitions, Measurement Practices, and Evidence Fragmentation.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy of different exercise interventions on cognitive function in adults with major depressive disorder and subthreshold depression: a systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analyses.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- Investigating the effects of different exercise protocols on depressive-like behaviors and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rodents: a systematic review.Experimental brain research · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of Different Exercise Intensities on Internet Addiction in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.Addiction biology · 2026Pooled it
- Predictors of depression outcomes among university students following brief smartphone-based interventions.Npj mental health research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDepression affects approximately 25% of college students globally. Physical exercise shows promise as a low-cost, high-adherence intervention for depression, but research comparing different exercise types is lacking. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of various exercise interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms among college students through a network meta-analysis, to inform targeted exercise prescriptions.
methodsWe conducted a systematic search of six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect) from their inception to July 1, 2024. Interventions were classified into six categories based on exercise type and intensity. Data extraction and systematic analysis were performed using Review Manager 5.4. A network meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 14.0, with heterogeneity assessed via node-splitting models, and results presented as standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
resultsForty-two randomized controlled trials involving 1,169 participants were included. The network meta-analysis revealed that Special Training Unit (STU), Dynamic Resistance Movement Group (DRMG), and Aerobic Exercise Group (AEG) demonstrated high effectiveness in improving depressive symptoms. STU showed the highest probability of being the most effective intervention (65.1%), followed by DRMG (64.8%), AEG (61.3%), and Strength and Resistance Training Group (SRTG) (60.9%). High-Intensity Training Group (HITG) (26.2%) and Moderate Intensity Group (MIG) (21.7%) showed less impact on improving depressive symptoms. The limited effectiveness of HITG may relate to excessive physiological stress responses, while MIG potentially provided insufficient stimulation to trigger optimal neurobiological adaptations for mood improvement.
conclusionsSpecial Training Units (STU) and Dance and Rhythmic Movement Group (DRMG) interventions demonstrate superior efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms among college students. These findings suggest that integrating rhythmic movement with psychological components may offer optimal benefits compared to intensity-focused exercise approaches, providing evidence-based guidance for mental health programs in university settings.
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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 Socratic graph.