Physical activity interventions for the mental health of children: A systematic review

Abstract

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.

WITHDRAWN: Effect of exercise intervention on depression in children and adolescents: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

“…3) the social interaction perspective suggests that the presence of social relationships inherent in exercise and the mutual support between individuals involved in exercise play an essential role in the impact of depressive mood (45). and 4) the physiological perspective suggests that exercise participation increases synaptic transmission of monoamines and activates the secretion of endorphins (46,47). The inhibitory effect of these substances on the central nervous system, reducing pain and enhancing the active state of the brain, could be responsible for improving depressive mood after exercise (48).…”

Exercise Intervention and Improvement of Negative Emotions in Children: A Meta-Analysis

“…The meta-analysis results showed a positive association between children's participation in general physical exercise and improvement in negative mood, suggesting that children's participation in sports improves negative mood. This nding is similar to that of a review of the relationship between exercise and mental health conducted by Hale (2022) and others [59]. The 23 studies included in this meta-analysis were all intervention studies with a large sample size (6830), and each study had a more precise description of the selection of the study population; both the intervention and control groups were from the same population, and the study population was well represented.…”

The association between physical activity and mental health in medical postgraduates in China during COVID-19 pandemic

“…The relationship between PA and mental health has been well-documented in different populations of different ages and disease conditions (30,31). There were many mechanisms by which PA improves mental health: at the molecular level, regular PA can increase the produce brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BNDF), which leads to the activation of ERK signaling pathway and inhibition of depressive-like behavior (32,33).…”