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Physical activity interventions for the mental health of children: A systematic review
Gabrielle E Hale1, Luke Colquhoun1, Deborah Lancastle1
1School of Psychology and Therapeutic Studies, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK.
Insights
Physical activity interventions effectively boost children's psychological well-being, improving quality of life, body image, and self-esteem. Further research is needed to clarify their impact on reducing anxiety and depression in children.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Exercise Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) interventions are increasingly recognized for their potential to influence children's mental health.
- This review focuses on children aged six to 11 years from the general population.
Approach:
- A systematic review of electronic databases (January 2005-June 2020) was conducted.
- 23 studies were included and synthesized, assessing risk of bias.
- Studies were categorized into Quality of Life, body image, self-esteem, and psychological ill-being.
Key Points:
- PA interventions show positive effects on improving Quality of Life, body image, and self-esteem in children.
- Evidence suggests PA enhances psychological well-being.
- The impact of PA on reducing symptoms of psychological ill-being (anxiety, depression) is less conclusive.
Conclusions:
- PA interventions are supported for enhancing psychological well-being in school and community settings for children.
- Further research is necessary to fully understand the effects of PA interventions on reducing psychological ill-being in the general child population.
Objective:
This systematic review explored the effectiveness of using physical activity (PA) interventions to enhance psychological well-being and reduce psychological ill-being (e.g., anxiety and depression) in children aged six to 11 years old from the general population.
Methods:
Electronic databases were searched for studies published between January 2005 and June 2020: Web of Science, ProQuest Psychology Journals, PsycINFO, Pub Med, ASSIA, CINHAL PLUS, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE and Wiley Online Library. Search terms included 'physical activity intervention', 'psychological well-being' and 'child*'. After removing duplicates, 11 390 studies were independently screened by two authors based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and assessed for risk of bias.
Results:
A total of 23 studies were narratively synthesized and categorized into four domains: Quality of Life (QOL), body image, self-esteem and psychological ill-being. Evidence was provided for the impact of PA interventions in improving QOL, body image and self-esteem. Despite the positive effect on psychological well-being, evidence for a reduction in the frequency and severity of symptoms associated with psychological ill-being in children is less clear.
Conclusions:
Reviewed studies support the use of PA interventions in enhancing the psychological well-being of children in school and community settings. More research is warranted to understand the impact of PA interventions on reducing psychological ill-being in children from the general population.
