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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Psychiatry

Sec. Mood Disorders

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1641082

Exercise as a Therapeutic Strategy for Depression in Menopausal Women: A Meta-analytic of Randomized Trials

Provisionally accepted
Sen  LiSen Li1Yan  DouYan Dou2*Ye  LiYe Li3
  • 1Heilongjiang Institute of Engineering, Harbin, China
  • 2Hebei Sport University, Shijiazhuang, China
  • 3St Paul University Philippines, Tuguegarao City, Philippines

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Background: Menopause is a transitional phase in a woman's life marked by a heightened vulnerability to depressive symptoms. Exercise has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological strategy for alleviating depression, yet the extent to which different intervention characteristics influence outcomes remains unclear. Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of exercise interventions in reducing depressive symptoms among menopausal women and to examine potential moderators through detailed subgroup analyses. Methods: A comprehensive search of four databases identified 16 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) meeting the inclusion criteria. Standardised mean differences (SMDs) were calculated to quantify effect sizes. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on exercise format (individual vs. group), exercise type, session length, total intervention duration, and menopausal stage. Sensitivity analysis and Egger's test were used to assess result stability and publication bias, respectively. Results: Exercise interventions were associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms (SMD = –1.04, 95% CI: –1.46 to –0.63, p < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses indicated that individual-based formats, mind-body exercises (e.g., yoga, tai chi), longer sessions (60–90 min), extended intervention durations (>12 weeks), and interventions during the perimenopausal stage produced greater effects. Egger's test suggested no significant publication bias (p = 0.441), and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. Conclusion: Exercise is an effective intervention for reducing depressive symptoms in menopausal women. The magnitude of benefit varies by intervention characteristics, underscoring the need for personalised, phase-specific exercise prescriptions. These findings provide a strong evidence base for integrating structured exercise into mental health strategies targeting midlife women.

Keywords: Exercise Intervention, Menopause, Depression, Meta-analysis, randomised controlled trials

Received: 13 Jun 2025; Accepted: 28 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Li, Dou and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Yan Dou, Hebei Sport University, Shijiazhuang, China

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