School sports may be a good preventive treatment for depression, stress in teens

Jack Raglin

Sports teach teamwork, discipline, time management, and sacrifice among many other life skills. But now researchers are finding that teens who play sports are less stressed and have better mental health. 

Canadian researchers published a recent study, which showed that sports teams could be used as a protective treatment against stress and depression in early adulthood. ... Researchers linked feelings of accomplishment and mastery of a sports skills to a better mental state. According to Child Trends Data Bank, depression increases during adolescence and peaks in early adulthood between 18 and 29 years old, which means preventive measures are in high demand. 

"Single sessions of activity reduce anxiety, improve mood, and raise feelings of energy that last for several hours," said Jack Raglin, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, in a recent story in Medical Daily. "Long-term participation can significantly improve conditions such as clinical anxiety and depression to a degree that rivals medication, both in adults and adolescents."

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