The Association Between Sports Participation and Mental Health Across the Lifespan

Abstract

Context: Mental health problems are extremely common all over the world and contribute significantly to illness and impairments. There is an acknowledged need for interventions that focus on prevention to foster mental health, and to fulfill this need, sports offer a promising way to promote mental health and avoid the beginning of a mental illness. In this study, a literature review is presented about the association between sports participation and mental health across the lifespan. Objectives: To determine the association between sports participation and mental health and get information about the mental health benefits that can be achieved by increased participation in sports, both by the general public and professional athletes at any age. Methods: To conduct the literature review, a search on different databases was carried out for research articles with the key terms "sports participation” and “mental health" to find their association. Results: Participation in sports was found to be positively associated with psychological well-being and connected with fewer mental health problems. Sports participation was associated with higher self-esteem and a lower risk of anxiety, depression, and social-behavioral inhibition in adolescents. Sports participation led to reduced smoking and a type of personality that was resistant to alcohol and drug addiction. Sports club membership, high or moderately frequent sports participation, participation in outdoor sports, team sports, contact sports, and competition were all linked to fewer internalizing problems. Conclusions: Participation in sports is beneficial to the mental health of children, adolescents, and adults. Team sports and sports clubs are especially advantageous for mental health due to social and psychological support. Creating opportunities for sports participation can lead to the promotion of mental health.

The Effect of Workplace-Based Sports Participation on the Mental Status of Japanese Workers

“…It is associated with higher perceived health and happiness [11], and higher psychological health, as assessed by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire [12] and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) [13]. Team sports have a beneficial effect on mental status compared to individual sports [13] [14] [15]. Psychological distress status assessed using the GHQ [13] and Hopkins Symptom Checklist [14] was lower in team sports than in individual sports.…”

“…Psychological distress status assessed using the GHQ [13] and Hopkins Symptom Checklist [14] was lower in team sports than in individual sports. One review article mentioned that team sports have the advantage of improving mental health because they encourage social networking and a sense of belonging, leading to social and psychological support [15].…”

Team Sports as Catalysts for Holistic Student Wellness: Insights from a General Review

“…Youth sports involvement has been linked to numerous psychological advantages, such as cultivating emotional competencies, including empathy, emotional regulation, and resilience. These competencies are developed through the team dynamics, challenges, and achievements inherent in sports, leading to comprehensive emotional growth [31,32]. Studies report quantitative evidence indicating that both team and individual sports participation correlate with reduced symptoms of depression in boys, with team sports linked explicitly to decreased depression in girls.…”

“…Cultivation of emotional competencies such as empathy, emotional regulation, and resilience through team dynamics. [31,32]…”

Multidimensional impact of sport types on the psychological well-being of student athletes: A multivariate investigation

“…The mediation role of psychological well-being in the relationship between teammate influences and psychopathological outcomes and its contribution to school satisfaction and well-being have also been discussed [ 3 , 101 ]. Additionally, the positive effects of sports participation and social support on mental health and post-injury depressive and anxiety symptoms have been noted [ 102 , 103 ]. However, the cessation of competitive sports during the COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to poor mental health outcomes, accentuating the importance of sustained social support during such periods [ 91 ].…”