Basic characteristics of the included studies
| Number | Studies | Diagnostic criteria | Blind method | Sample size (M/F) for rTMS group | Sample size (M/F) for control group | Age (M (SD)) for rTMS group | Age (M±SD) for control group | Stimulation site | Stimulation frequency Stimulation intensity (%MT) | Treatment frequency Number of pulses | Sham stimulation |
| 1 | Diefenbach 201618 | MINI | Double blind | 13 (2/11) | 12 (4/8) | 44.00 (11.95) | 44.58 (14.75) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 30 times | Sham coil |
| 90% | 900 pulses | ||||||||||
| 2 | Dilkov 201719 | MINI | Double blind | 15 (9/6) | 25 (12/13) | 34 (7) | 38 (10) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 25 times | 90° |
| 110% | NA | ||||||||||
| 3 | Zhang 201020 | CCMD-3 | NA | 34 (12/22) | 32 (13/19) | 36.1 (9.6) | 36.84 (8.1) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 12 times | NA |
| 90% | 1200 pulses | ||||||||||
| 4 | Zhu 201121 | CCMD-3 | NA | 35 (7/28) | 35 (9/26) | 45.4 (9.5) | 45.9 (8.7) | L-DLPFC | 10–15 Hz | 10 times | NA |
| NA | NA | ||||||||||
| 5 | Li 201222 | DSM-IV | NA | 22 (12/10) | 20 (14/6) | 43.0 (13.3） | 44.4 (10.6） | R-parietal lobe | 1 Hz | 10 times | Sham coil |
| 90% | 500 pulses | ||||||||||
| 6 | Zhang 201223 | CCMD-3 | NA | 42 (23/19) | 42 (22/20) | 12.8 | 13.7 | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 10 times | NA |
| 80% | NA | ||||||||||
| 7 | Xiao 201424 | CCMD-3 | NA | 35 (17/18) | 33 (15/18) | 37.36 (13.72) | 36.84 (14.36) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 10 times | NA |
| 90% | 600 pulses | ||||||||||
| 8 | Guo 201525 | CCMD-3 | NA | 56 (29/27) | 57 (32/25) | 30.85 (8.12) | 31.17 (7.24) | L-PFC | 1 Hz | 20 times | 180° |
| 80% | 2400 pulses | ||||||||||
| 9 | Hou 201526 | CCMD-3 | NA | 30 (16/14) | 30 (18/12) | 34.86 (7.21) | 35.24 (7.39) | L-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 30 times | NA |
| 80% | 2400 pulses | ||||||||||
| 10 | Qu 201527 | ICD-10 | NA | 28 (12/16) | 30 (11/19) | 38.1 (9.7) | 39.0 (9.0) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 20 times | Sham coil |
| 80% | NA | ||||||||||
| 11 | Wang1 201528 | DSM-IV | Single blind | 20 (9/11) | 20 (11/9) | 40.15 (10.1) | 39.3 (12.5) | R-DLPFC | 10 Hz | 24 times | Sham coil |
| 90% | 500 pulses | ||||||||||
| 12 | Wang2 201528 | DSM-IV | Single blind | 20 (10/10) | 20 (11/9) | 39.1 (11.6) | 39.3 (12.5) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 24 times | Sham coil |
| 90% | 500 pulses | ||||||||||
| 13 | Wu 201529 | DSM-IV | NA | 20 (11/9) | 20 (12/8) | 41.05 (10.3） | 42.81 (9.85） | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 10 times | NA |
| 100% | 600 pulses | ||||||||||
| 14 | Zhang 201530 | ICD-10 | NA | 30 (13/17) | 30 (11/19) | 31.7 (9.3） | 33.2 (10.8） | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 30 times | 90° |
| 100% | NA | ||||||||||
| 15 | Liu 201631 | ICD-10 | NA | 30 (11/19) | 30 (12/18) | 44.1 (12.04) | 43.77 (9.24) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 30 times | NA |
| 100% | NA | ||||||||||
| 16 | Ren 201632 | CCMD-3 | NA | 84 (50/34） | 81 (48/33) | 34.15 (12.12) | 35.62 (12.33) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 21 times | NA |
| 90% | 600 pulses | ||||||||||
| 17 | Wang 201633 | CCMD-3 | NA | 30 (13/17) | 30 (14/16) | 46.8 (6.3) | 46.8 (6.3) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 20 times | NA |
| 90% | NA | ||||||||||
| 18 | Wu 201634 | ICD-10 | Single blind | 36 (16/20) | 28 (13/15) | 38.6 (7.3) | 38.1 (6.8) | L-PFC | 1 Hz | 30 times | 90° |
| 80% | 2400 pulses | ||||||||||
| 19 | Wu 201735 | ICD-10 | Single blind | 33 (18/15) | 37 (14/23) | 44.7 (8.36) | 43.19 (10.06) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 20 times | 90° |
| 90% | NA | ||||||||||
| 20 | Zhai1 201736 | CCMD-3 | NA | 28 (13/15) | 28 (12/16) | 67.13 (4.36) | 67.22 (4.13) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 20 times | NA |
| 90% | NA | ||||||||||
| 21 | Zhai2 201737 | ICD-10 | NA | 100 (62/38) | 100 (59/41) | 39.62 (10.1) | 38.9 (9.8) | R-DLPFC | 1 Hz | 20 times | Sham coil |
| 80% | NA |
CCMD-3, third edition of the Chinese Mental Illness Diagnostic Standard; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed; F, female; ICD-10, 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases; L-DLPFC, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; M, male; MINI, MINI-international Neuropsychiatric Interview; MT, motor threshold; NA, no data or not described; R-DLPFC, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.