Youth & Depression: How Exercise Helps
- Teenagers who engage in regular physical activity face a reduced risk of developing depression, according to a new study.Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology examined...
- Silje Steinsbekk,a professor at the university,said that teens who are less physically active over time have a greater chance of experiencing depressive symptoms.
- The research team followed 873 participants from the Trondheim Early Secure Study, tracking their physical activity using accelerometers over a period of years, from age 6 to 18.
Engage in physical activity, reduce the risk of teenage depression. A new study reveals a strong link between exercise and mental well-being in adolescents, with benefits especially evident after age 14. Researchers tracked participants from ages 6 to 18, assessing both physical activity and mental health thru clinical interviews. Discover how regular exercise serves as a protective factor against depression symptoms, offering crucial insights for teenagers. News Directory 3 provides you the knowledge. Is there particular type of activity that yields the greatest benefits? Discover what’s next…
Physical Activity Linked to Lower Depression Risk in Teens
Updated May 27, 2025
Teenagers who engage in regular physical activity face a reduced risk of developing depression, according to a new study.Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology examined the connection between physical activity and mental health in young people.
Silje Steinsbekk,a professor at the university,said that teens who are less physically active over time have a greater chance of experiencing depressive symptoms. The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, highlights the importance of physical activity for mental well-being.
The research team followed 873 participants from the Trondheim Early Secure Study, tracking their physical activity using accelerometers over a period of years, from age 6 to 18. Mental health was assessed through clinical interviews.
Steinsbekk noted that both the total amount of daily physical activity and the intensity of that activity appear to protect against depression symptoms, particularly for those between 14 and 18 years old.
Interestingly, the study found an inverse relationship in younger adolescents. Those aged 10 to 14 with more symptoms of depression were more likely to become less physically active.
“Young people who increase their physical activity level from the age of 14 and a few years later have a lower risk of developing symptoms of depression than they would otherwise have,” Steinsbekk said.
The study found no correlation between sedentary behavior and depression, nor any difference between sexes in the observed effects.
What’s next
researchers plan to further investigate the specific types of physical activity that yield the greatest mental health benefits for adolescents, focusing on interventions to promote increased activity levels.