PAWS for concern

PAWS for Concern John Murphy is a PE Teacher and is currently pursuing a PhD on the relationship between Physical Activity and mental well-being in adolescents. PAWS stands for Physical Activity and Wellbeing Study.

Introduction

We know that physical activity is good for our health. So much so, that specific guidelines have been developed to guide how active we are, how often and what type of activity we do. This differs across age ranges with 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommended for children and teenagers every day. Worryingly, the majority of teenagers do not meet these recommendations as a study of European adolescents found only 13% met guidelines while Irish studies have reported a decline from 12% to 10% over the past 12 years. Physical activity guidelines were mainly designed to optimise our physical health although there is considerable research to suggest it can also greatly benefit our mental health. 

Adolescents who are physically active on a consistent basis also demonstrate increased self-esteem and enhanced cognitive functioning with the most robust evidence about reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. While no specific guidelines currently exist on physical activity for optimal mental health, the growing body of literature is painting a much clearer picture of how much activity is required, what type of activity may be best, and most importantly, the context in which physical activity is undertaken. The rest of this piece will outline a recent study on the association between physical activity and mental health outcomes in Irish adolescents.

What? 5,661 adolescents from the Republic of Ireland completed an online questionnaire which asked about physical activity levels, sports participation, mental wellbeing, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Only 8% of adolescents met the physical activity guidelines. Males were more active than females and activity levels declined as they progressed through the years in school. Worryingly, only 1% of females in 6th Year were sufficiently active. As distressing as the current physical activity levels appear, symptoms of anxiety and depression are even more concerning. 39% of participants reported symptoms of depression that ranged from mild to extreme while 31% of participants reported symptoms of anxiety that ranged from moderate to concerning. A higher percentage of females reported increased symptoms of mental ill-health across all measures and sub-categories. As well as levels of physical activity alone, we also looked at sports participation. 80% of those surveyed were involved in at least 1 sport in the previous 6 months with two thirds involved in at least one team sport.

So What? Instead of simply reporting descriptive statistics, we looked at a number of associations throughout. Those who were more active had higher levels of wellbeing and lower symptoms of depression and anxiety. Meeting the 60 minutes per day mark on at least 8 out of 14 days (or a minimum of every second day) was associated with the lowest symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Wellbeing continued to increase the more days that teenagers were active. We divided participants into categories based on activity levels and found a large increase in mental health between those who were least active (approx. 0-1 days per week). and those who were somewhat active (2-3 days per week). Adolescents who engaged in sport had increased mental health compared to those who did not, with those who engaged in more sports (3+) having the highest levels of well being and lowest symptoms of anxiety and depression in the entire sample. This is possibly because it is easier to be more active if you are engaged in a variety of sports, but also because you experience a wider range of activities and meet a wider range of people. Team sport was also associated with increased mental health suggesting the non-physical aspects also contribute such as mastery of goals/skills, autonomous motivation, enjoyment, choice, a sense of belonging, and social interaction.

Now What? How does this proactively inform us as teachers, coaches, researchers and practitioners? First of all, we must strive to keep as many young people involved in physical activity for as long as possible. Even small increases in physical activity lead to improvements in mental wellbeing. Adding 1 or 2 bouts of physical activity per week will most likely lead to improved mental health. Encouraging young people to sample a variety of activities helps them develop a wide range of skills, meet many new

people and solve a number of different physical, mental and social challenges. Sampling also helps young people find the activity or activities they are most

likely to stick with in the longer term. The aforementioned benefits of team sport, such as social interaction, sense of belonging and enjoyment, can also

be achieved through individual activities by setting up support groups and encouraging social content via technology during this socially distanced time. increasing their physical activity levels.

At a macro level, it is important that we provide opportunities to both participate and remain involved in sport throughout childhood and adolescence for physical, psychological and social development of our youth. Identifying a variety of role models, providing a meaningful games programme, a reduced emphasis on elitism and increased (or even established) communication between NGBs is key to recruiting and retaining more young people and increasing their physical activity levels. 

John Murphy PhD(c)