The MOod Treatment with Antidepressants or Running (MOTAR) study is a scientific study performed at the Amsterdam University Medical Center (location VU medical center/GGZ inGeest). Patients with a current major depressive and/or anxiety disorder received a 16-week treatment with either antidepressant medication or running therapy (3 times/week). Both treatments are known to be equally effective for depressive and anxiety disorder treatment. It is, however, unknown, to what extent they impact physiological health, including fitness, stress, biological aging, immunometabolic dysregulations and brain processes. Additionally, a control group of 60 healthy controls without lifetime psychopathology was recruited as comparison group for baseline variables.

Data collection was completed in July 2019. Data analyses are currently prepared and executed.