{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T17:35:46Z","timestamp":1791999346937,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,18]],"date-time":"2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739836800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Behav. Neurosci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of vigorous physical activity as an intervention for alleviating depressive symptoms among adolescents and young adults.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A comprehensive search on systematically reliable databases was carried out, and studies running till August 2023 were considered in this study. The articles included in this meta-analysis assessed the impact of exercise interventions on depressive symptomatology in adolescents and young adults. Two independent investigators screened the studies, extracted data, and evaluated quality.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Physical activity produced an important reduction in depressive symptoms [SMD] = \u22124.23, 95% CI: \u22127.02, \u22121.44, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.0001; a moderate effect size in both the adolescent population with clinical depression and adolescents who presented with subclinical depressive symptoms. Notably, vigorous physical exercise worked most favorably for adolescent depressive symptomatology, while moderate-intensity exercise was the best choice for adolescents with diagnosed clinical depression.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This meta-analysis suggests that vigorous physical activity could reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults. However, further studies are needed to provide clearer recommendations regarding the type, duration, and intensity of exercise necessary to treat clinical depression in this population.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnbeh.2025.1479326","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,18]],"date-time":"2025-02-18T06:54:56Z","timestamp":1739861696000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Efficacy of vigorous physical activity as an intervention for mitigating depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Wei","family":"Yang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huijing","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wei","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sheng","family":"Qu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yao","family":"Ge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jin","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.1111\/camh.12438","article-title":"Review: exercise for depression in children and adolescents - a systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"26","author":"Axelsdottir","year":"2021","journal-title":"Child and Adolescent Mental Health"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1068","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291717002653","article-title":"Treating depression with physical activity in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.","volume":"48","author":"Bailey","year":"2018","journal-title":"PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"396","DOI":"10.4103\/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_647_22","article-title":"Prevalence of depression in visually impaired children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"65","author":"Bakhla","year":"2023","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Psychiatry"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"624","DOI":"10.1044\/2021_JSLHR-21-00236","article-title":"Anxiety and depression symptoms in children and adolescents who stutter: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"65","author":"Bernard","year":"2022","journal-title":"JOURNAL OF SPEECH LANGUAGE AND HEARING RESEARCH"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/17831","article-title":"Internet and computer-based cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression in adolescents and young adults: systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"22","author":"Christ","year":"2020","journal-title":"JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"940","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2020.09.025","article-title":"Depression and inflammation among children and adolescents: a meta-analysis.","volume":"277","author":"Colasanto","year":"2020","journal-title":"JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1985","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0000000000000993","article-title":"High-intensity interval training for cognitive and mental health in adolescents.","volume":"48","author":"Costigan","year":"2016","journal-title":"MEDICINE &amp; 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