Call for more exercise for children to tackle rising levels of depression
But time playing sports appears to taper off during children's school years, researchers found.
The new study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined data on more than 16,000 children in Sweden.
They were tracked from birth to the age of 18, with information gathered about their physical activity levels, time spent outdoors and time spend participating in organised sports.
Researchers also gathered information on whether or not the children were diagnosed with any psychiatric disorders.
During the study period, 15% of the youngsters were diagnosed with mental illness, including anxiety, depression, sleep problems and eating disorders.
And levels of exercise appeared to decline as children age – from an average of 4.2 hours a day among children the age of five to 2.5 hours a day for those aged 11 years.
Parents were also asked whether their child took part in an organised sport, such as football, dancing or horse riding, outside of school hours.
Academics found that exercise, particularly organised sports, appeared to carry a protective effect against mental illnesses during teenage years.
Those who were physically active at the age of 11 were found to be 12% less likely to be diagnosed with any psychiatric condition until they were 18 years old.
When split between genders, they found that physical activity at age 11 was associated with a reduced risk of depression among girls.
And boys who were physically active at age 11 were less likely to suffer depression, anxiety or addiction during their teenage years.
In boys, the protective effect appeared to begin early – the risk of depression was 19% lower among physically active boys aged five and 23% lower among eight year old boys, but not among girls.
Participation in organised sports showed significant protective effects on anxiety and addiction for both boys and girls, and on depression for boys, the research team added.
But no link was found between time spent outdoors and the risk of mental ill health.
'Physical activity at 11 years of age had a protective effect on the incidence of any psychiatric disease for boys, and on depression among girls,' the authors from Sweden wrote.
'Participation in organised sports showed strong protective effects for both girls and boys on multiple outcomes.
'Given the dramatic increase in the global prevalence of psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents, this study highlights the importance of promoting physical activity, particularly through organised sports.'
They added: 'Physical activity could be used as a strategy for the prevention of mental health problems, especially before, and during, adolescence, and should spark increased interest among policymakers and motivate healthcare professionals to incorporate PA in treatment programmes.'
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