Physical exercise and symptoms of depression and anxiety in college students: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Introduction:The prevalence of emotional health problems among university students has significantly increased. In this context, physical exercise has been considered a viable and beneficial intervention for preventing anxiety and depression in this population.Objective:This study aimed to investigate the effects of exercise or physical activity on depression and/or anxiety in university students through a systematic review based on the PRISMA Statement guidelines.Methodology:A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Scielo, Lilacs, and PsycInfo databases until January 2021. The search strategy used was: “physical exercise” [or] “physical activity” [and] depression [or] anxiety [and] students [or] “university students”.Results:The selected studies, despite certain methodological limitations, showed positive effects of physical exercise in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression among university students.Discussion:The results were consistent with existing literature, indicating that physical exercise may be an effective complementary strategy for managing emotional disorders in young university populations. The relevance of considering the specific characteristics of this population for proper identification and treatment was also highlighted.Conclusions: It is concluded that physical exercise is an accessible and potentially effective option to be implemented on university campuses. It can be used alone or in combination with psychotherapeutic and/or pharmacological interventions, depending on the identified need.