Summary: A long-term study shows that teenagers who maintain or increase physical activity levels are less likely to develop symptoms of depression. Researchers tracked 873 participants from ages 6 to 18, measuring activity levels with accelerometers and assessing mental health through clinical interviews.
The strongest protective effect emerged between ages 14 and 18, where higher physical activity, especially intense activity, correlated with fewer depressive symptoms. Notably, teens with higher depression symptoms from ages 10 to 16 became less active over time, suggesting a two-way relationship between physical health and mental well-being.
Key Facts:
- Protective in Late Teens: Increased physical activity from ages 14 to 18 reduced risk of depression symptoms.
- Two-Way Link: Higher depressive symptoms in early adolescence predicted reduced physical activity later.
- No Sedentary Impact: Time spent sedentary did not show a clear association with depression risk.
Source: NTNU
“Young people who are less physically active over time have an increased risk of developing symptoms of depression,” says Professor Silje Steinsbekk.
Steinsbekk works at the Department of Psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
“This finding was true for teens who were 14 to 16 years old and 16 to 18 years old. Both the sum of daily physical activity, and the proportion of activity that is more intense and particularly important for our health, turned out to protect against symptoms of depression,” Steinsbekk said.
The results have now been published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Large group followed for years
The researchers followed a large group of children and young people for a long period in the Trondheim Early Secure Study. Every two years, physical activity was measured with accelerometers (advanced pedometers). The participants wore this instrumentation for 7 days.
Clinical interviews were used to survey the participants mental health, yielding valuable results.
This time, the data comes from 873 participants. It covers the period from the age of 6 to the age of 18. A total of 7 rounds of data (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 years) form the basis of the study.
“We also investigated whether belief in one’s own physical abilities, body image and sports participation had an impact on the association between physical activity and depression,” Steinsbekk said.
Physical activity can protect against depression
“Although we found that physical activity seems to protect against depression symptoms in adolescence, this did not apply to young adolescents aged 10-14,” Steinsbekk said..
“However, we found an opposite correlation from 10-12 and 14-16 years: Those who had more symptoms of depression were more likely to become less physically active,” she said.
The researchers’ conclusion is clear.
“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. For this age group, it may appear that physical activity protects against symptoms of depression,” says Steinsbekk.
The researchers found no association between time spent being sedentary and depression. Nor did they find any difference between the sexes.
About this depression and exercise research news
Author: Nancy Bazilchuk
Source: NTNU
Contact: Nancy Bazilchuk – NTNU
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Symptoms of Depression, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Time: Within-Person Relations From Age 6 to 18 in a Birth Cohort” by Silje Steinsbekk et al. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Abstract
Symptoms of Depression, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Time: Within-Person Relations From Age 6 to 18 in a Birth Cohort
Objective
To examine the within-person relations between objectively measured physical activity and clinically assessed symptoms of depressive disorders from childhood to late adolescence.
Method
Seven waves of biennially collected data from a Norwegian birth-cohort (n = 873; 53% girls) followed from age 6 to 18 years were used. Accelerometers were used to assess total physical activity, moderate-to vigorous physical activity, and sedentary time, and symptoms of depression were assessed by semi-structured psychiatric interviews.
Mediators (athletic self-esteem, body image, sports participation) were captured by questionnaires. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were estimated to test the within-person relations and their potential mediators.
Results
From ages 14 to 16 and 16 to 18 years, significant within-person relations were found. Decreased levels of total physical activity (PA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) predicted more symptoms of depression (PA: 14-16 years: β = –0.08; 16-18 years: β = –0.09; MVPA: 14-16 years: β = –0.10; 16-18 years: β = –0.07). These relations were not evident at earlier ages.
From ages 10 to 12 and 14 to 16 years, an increased number of depressive symptoms predicted decreased levels of physical activity (PA: 10-12 years: β = –0.10; 14-16 years: β = –0.14: MVPA: 10-12 years: β = –0.10; 14-16 years: β = –0.17). We found no evidence for within-person relations between sedentary time and depressive symptoms, and no significant sex differences or mediations.
Conclusion
Individuals who increase their physical activity levels from middle to late adolescence are less likely to develop symptoms of depression compared to what they otherwise would. Thus, in this age period, physical activity may protect against depressive symptoms.
