Playing team sports is better for children’s mental health than individual ones such as tennis, a study suggests. A study of 11,000 nine to 13-year-olds found those who played group sports such as football or basketball were a fifth less likely to suffer depression compared to those who were not sporty.
But children who exclusively competed in individual sports such as gymnastics, tennis and wrestling were 15 percent more likely to be anxious than those who do not exercise.
California State University researchers who did the study said team sports were a ‘vehicle to support child and adolescent mental health’.
Playing with others boosts togetherness and instills a healthy sense of competition, the researchers said, while individual sports may cause more performance anxiety.
But the authors have called for further research into the extent to which individual sports can ‹be problematic› for young people and ‹under what circumstances›.
Researchers analysed data on the sports habits of 11,235 American children, taken from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study.
Brain function
The ongoing 10-year study involves questionnaires for children and their parents once or twice a year, games and puzzles that assess brain function, providing saliva samples for testing and having MRI scans.
To qualify, children had to play at least one individual or team sport that involved formal practice, had rules, was coached by an adult or youth leader and was competitive.
Some 3,348 youngsters played team sports, 2,366 played individual sports, while 1,750 played both team and individual.
Their mental health was compared to a control group who played no sports.
After adjusting for other factors that may influence a child’s mental health, the team found that those who engaged in team sports were 10 percent less likely to be anxious or depressed compared to their peers who didn’t play sports.
They were also at a 19 percent reduced risk of being withdrawn.
Team sport players were also 17 percent less likely to suffer social problems and attention problems were 12 percent lower among the cohort.
However, those who played individual sports were 16 percent more likely to have anxiety or depression than those who didn’t play sport and 14 percent more at risk of being withdrawn.
Social problems were 12 percent more prevalent and children were 14 percent more likely to suffer attention problems if they did individual sports.
The findings were published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Emotional and behavioural benefits The researchers said playing in a team has ‘emotional and behavioural benefits’ which could be down to the ‘many opportunities for positive social interactions’.
Team sport players may also experience ‘a sense of closeness and cohesion with their teammates’, which could boost youngsters’ social skills and their ability to cope with stress. - Daily Mail