Radovic S, Gordon MS, Melvin GA. J Peds Child Health 10 Jan 2017. DOI: 10.1111/jpc.13426

Behavioural activation is commonly recommended by clinicians to young people who have depression.  This systematic review identified 8 out of 6631 studies that were eligible for meta-analysis. Exercise was found to be moderately effective in improving depressive symptoms.  However, due to the low quality and heterogeneity of studies, the authors recommend further investigation before exercise can be confidently recommended as an effective ‘antidepressant’ treatment in this population.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpc.13426/abstract?elq_mid=16244&elq_cid=5695091