{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,7]],"date-time":"2026-11-07T01:03:35Z","timestamp":1794013415534,"version":"4.8.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768780800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":18,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,21]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions in alleviating depression and anxiety symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Data sources<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, SportDiscus, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception to July 2025.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Eligibility criteria for selecting studies<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Randomised controlled trials were eligible if they examined the effects of exercise lasting \u22654 weeks on validated measures of depression and\/or anxiety in women aged 18\u201345 with PCOS diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria. Publications not written in English were excluded.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Data extraction and synthesis<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the Prisma in Exercise, Rehabilitation, Sport medicine and SporTs science guidelines. A narrative\/qualitative synthesis was used to provide an overview of the current literature on the topic. Given the limited number of eligible trials, outcomes and measurement tools, a meta-analysis was not undertaken.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>From 363 full-text records, three trials (n=221) met the inclusion criteria. Interventions lasted 12\u201316 weeks, and aerobic exercise (continuous, intermittent or high-intensity interval training) was prescribed at least three times per week. Across all studies, depression symptoms improved by 4.8%\u201332.4%, with one study indicating a minimal clinically important difference, while anxiety symptoms decreased by 3.6%\u201342.2%, measured using validated scales, including Hospital Anxiety and Depression Measurement Scale, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, Montgomery \u00c5sberg Depression Rating Scale and Brief Scale for Anxiety.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to limited report numbers, methodological concerns and heterogeneity in interventions and outcome measures. While this review aimed to assess all exercise modalities, only aerobic exercise interventions were identified. These interventions appear effective in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms in women with PCOS. Future research should include psychological outcomes and explore resistance or combined diet-exercise interventions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>PROSPERO registration number<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>CRD42023408190.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjsem-2025-002709","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T16:30:13Z","timestamp":1768840213000},"page":"e002709","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Evaluating the efficacy of aerobic exercise as therapy for depression and anxiety in women with PCOS: a systematic review"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1590-5892","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorna Evelyn","family":"Mansell","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medical and Health Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia"},{"name":"Edith Cowan University, Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7431-9872","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Caitlin","family":"Fox-Harding","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medical and Health Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia"},{"name":"Edith Cowan University, Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0302-6129","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robert U","family":"Newton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Edith Cowan University, Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia"},{"name":"School of Biomedical and Sports Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pedro","family":"Lopez da Cruz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Grupo de Pesquisa Em Exerc\u00edcio Para Popula\u00e7\u00f5es Cl\u00ednicas (GPCLIN), Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil"},{"name":"Programa de P\u00f3s-Gradua\u00e7\u00e3o em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7121-9593","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Bayes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup. 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