The effects of resistance training on adults experiencing depressive symptoms

Abstract

The current scientific literature shows that antidepressant medication and other current forms of treatment, although somewhat effective, have well-established limitations regarding efficacy, accessibility, and side effects. This emphasizes the need to explore new forms of interventions for the treatment of MDD, such as Resistance Training. Studies pertaining to the research question ‘Is resistance training an effective treatment for patients with symptoms of major depressive disorder?’ were chosen based on select inclusion and exclusion criteria. These required the studies to have been done in the last ten years, were peer-reviewed, in English, and were specifically associated with the research question. Four Systematic Reviews and one Randomised Control Trial were selected and critically analysed using CASP tools. Their results were criticised individually, and the main themes were analysed in further detail. Resistance Training seems to hold promising benefits when used as a sole intervention or concomitantly with antidepressants as evidenced by the results of the selected studies. The results were highly heterogeneous as studies varied significantly, mainly in the methodology of the intervention, the populations’ characteristics, the assessment tools used, the level of supervision, and whether participants and assessors were blinded. Depression itself is also a highly heterogeneous illness. This highlights the need for future studies to be performed that take into consideration the aforementioned variety and that better allow for replicability and generalisation. The findings of this literature review support the application of RT in the local acute setting. It is also relevant and applicable to the education and implementation in the general public.