Methods
Participants
Participants were 37 adults aged 65 years and older who were recruited from various sources:
through newsletters targeting older adults interested in participating in research, newspaper
ads, flyers distributed at local nursing home facilities, and public presentations. Inclusion
criteria were age ≥ 65 years and having 2–4 symptoms of depression. Exclusion criteria
included cognitive impairment as evidenced by a MMSE ≤ 22 (Folstein et al., 1975), current
anti-depressant medication use, medical contraindications that would preclude random
assignment (e.g., significant orthopedic problems or cardiopulmonary disease that would
prevent regular aerobic exercise), current alcohol or substance abuse, bipolar disorder, and
other severe psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., schizophrenia or psychosis). A total of 37 participants
were randomized to treatment: 14 to exercise, 11 to sertraline, and 12 to usual care