Posted ,
Reading 2 mins.
According to a large American study, conducted on children and adolescents, team sports would be beneficial for the mental health of young people. They are said to have fewer mental disorders than those who practice individual sports – such as swimming, wrestling or tennis.
The study was conducted on a large group of 11,235 children aged 9 to 13 years. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire about their children’s mental health and sports habits. The goal? Cross these different data to find a link. The researchers also took into account other factors that may influence children’s mental health, such as their physical health and the income of their parents.
The results were published on June 1 in the American online journal PLOS-ONE.
Playing a team sport would ensure good mental health for young people
Although the link between participation in a team sport and good mental health in young people has already been demonstrated, this study sought to identify which sports, in particular, would have a more positive impact than others on the health of young people. The answer is clear: team sports would ensure better mental health for young people.
According to the study, “Children and adolescents who exclusively played team sports, such as basketball or football, had fewer mental health difficulties than those who did not play any organized sport”.
Individual sport, ground of mental disorders?
The authors of the study expected that children who do not practice any sport have more mental problems than those who do regular sports activity, regardless of the type of sport, collective or individual. The results, however, have considerably changed the situation, by demonstrating that children who practice an individual sport have more serious mental difficulties than all the others.
“To our surprise, young people who only practiced individual sports, such as gymnastics or tennis, had more mental problems than those who did not practice team sports”, say the researchers. However, they suggest that further research should be conducted to confirm these results.
But this study highlighted a surprising point about girls. Whatever sport they play, they tend to follow the rules more than those who don’t play any sport.