How to Support Teen Mental Health
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says helping adolescents maintain positive mental health comes down to the following:
Helping students feel connected to school/family
Building bonds and relationships with adults and friends at school
Letting young people know someone cares about them
Involvement in teen athletics contributes to all of these outcomes and more. Let’s explore more science-backed ways sports have a positive influence on teen mental health.
10 Scientifically Validated Mental Benefits of Sports
Scientists have been exploring the link between exercise and mood for more than 100 years. As a result, they have produced a large body of research on physical activity and mental health, including the link between sports and mental health. Both biological and psychological factors come into play.
Here are 10 mental benefits of sports validated by research:
Exercise positively impacts levels of serotonin, a chemical that helps regulate mental health, and stimulates the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which improves mood.
Physical activity releases endorphins, the body’s natural “happy chemicals,” and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Sports are associated with lower rates of stress, anxiety, depression, body image issues, and suicidal behavior.
Participation in team sports reduces the risk of teen substance use and other reckless behaviors.
Team sports enhance resilience, empathy, confidence and empowerment.
They have also been shown to increase executive functioning, creativity, cognitive development, and self-regulation.
Improved teamwork and social responsibility are additional benefits of team sports for mental health.
The more time spent being physically active, the less time a teen spends on social media, which is proven to lower adolescent well-being.
Teen sports, as well as other outdoor activities, get teens outside so they can experience the benefits of time in nature.
Sleep improves when teens are physically active—which is important because sleep is essential for maintaining mental health.
What Are the Additional Benefits of Playing a Sport?
In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, regular exercise improves physical health, thereby boosting teens’ self-esteem and self-confidence.
Teams sports offer a way for teens to connect and bond with others in their age group with similar interests. Being part of a team helps teens build critical skills that carry through to adulthood, such as goal setting, critical thinking, working collaboratively with others.
Multiple studies show that adolescent and teen sports correlate with higher grades. An analysis of 4,746 middle and high school students found that increasing their activity levels from less than 2.5 hours per week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise to 7 hours per week was associated with a 5.7 percent to 9.1 percent increase in the students’ grades.
Physical activity is often prescribed as an affordable, self-sustaining way to prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. A 2021 study involving data from 70,000 high school students found a direct link between sport and mental health. Adolescents involved in a sport saw improvements in sleep, self-esteem, and psychological distress.
Moreover, research shows that team sports may be more supportive for athletes’ mental health than individual sports: One study found that young athletes in individual sports were almost twice as likely to report symptoms of depression (13 percent vs. 7 percent).
The Pandemic Impact on Sports and Mental Health
Perhaps nothing shed more light on the benefits of teen sports on mental health than the lack of sports during the pandemic. The abrupt shutdown of sports organizations during COVID had a profound effect on adolescents’ mental health.
One report showed that adolescents showed worsened signs of depression, anxiety, anger, sleep, and quality of life, especially those who played team sports. Girls experienced these symptoms as a higher rate than boys, and the impact was also higher on those low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Is Exercise as Effective as Medicine?
Another study showed that physical activity can be as effective as antidepressants.